First Blood
by Rayna Lissesul
Summary: First blood: Military; the first wounding or killing in a fight or war. Synonym: the first damage or reverse inflicted on an opponent in a conflict. Layman's terms: initial injury in a dispute. Even if you didn't mean it, insult always leads to injury...
1. Like Mother, Like Daughter

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome, welcome~!

For recurring fans, welcome back~!

For newcomers, thank you for coming~!

Well, this is the sequel to Muscle Memory; First Blood. (*hintity hint hint* For those of you who have never read Muscle Memory, you may want to before you start First Blood or you're going to be very, very confused…)

Before we get started, allow me to explain a few things… Whereas Muscle Memory was told from the first-person narrative (from the eyes of the leading female, Setsuko "Aporro" Nakamura), First Blood will be told from third-person omniscient, meaning there will be 'her's, 'him's and 'they's with introspective looks at thoughts and feelings of all characters involved, when it applies.

Also, while this story is rated 'T' for the moment, the rating _will_ go up the next chapter for various reasons… mostly Aporro's bad, bad mouth, but also because of dark and, at times, explicitly violent situations (especially much later on).

Just so you know here and now, First Blood is _strictly_ AU. While it does tie in with the main BLEACH story-line, it also takes place a good 100+ years _after_ the main story, meaning this plot is fan made. Now, while I know this may instill doubts about whether or not I won't just lose interest or run out of ideas… never fear~! I already have an intact plot and a fair amount of material to work with.

…Am I boring you yet? Because I am boring myself. ^.^' Well, if there's anything else I need to say, it will be said in subsequent chapters. For now, sit back, relax, and enjoy, because here it is~!

First Blood

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Vicenta winced as her mother went off on another tirade at the other end of the complex, sighing in relief that that anger wasn't directed at her and awed, even with being the daughter of that woman taken into consideration, that Aporro could get that loud…

Even if she denied it, Aporro was, pretty much, the matriarch of the Arrancar here at _El Sanctuario_, as some had come to call it…

When she heard her mother scream again, Vicenta sighed and was forced to acknowledge with a grin the other name their home was going by amongst the younger Arrancar; _La Cueva de la Mujer Dragón_.

Unfortunately for those so-called wits…

"I UNDERSTAND SPANISH, YOU CHEEKY PUNKS!!"

Vicenta smirked, plugging her main computer up to a new handheld system she was working on and starting the data transfer.

Honestly, if Aporro wanted to convince everyone she _wasn't_ their unspoken leader/mother, she really needed to stop chastising everyone…

Unfortunately, that was something Aporro just couldn't do. She was getting more maternal with age, and not the nice maternal. No, the bossy, bitchy maternal.

Couldn't blame her, though; she _was_ trying to boss around Arrancar, here, not humans. It was way harder to make Arrancar mind.

"_Miss Vicenta…_" The large terminal in front of her spoke, the giant numbers of a digital clock on military time flashing on the screen, "_It's time for breakfast._"

"Thank you, Meryl." Vicenta sighed, rubbing her forehead and yawning. She'd worked through the night. Again. She really needed to make the clock visible on the desktop…

She winced when she realized something; Grimmjow wasn't going to be happy.

"Fuck." She hissed, standing and dashing out of her lab.

Grimmjow was going to be _pissed_; this was the fifth time this week! In a row, at that! Damn her parents and their quirks… Damn her father for his obsessive work habits and damn her mother for her poor sense of time.

"Damn!" Vicenta skidded around the corner and dove at the large set of double doors right in front of her, sliding across the floor in her well-worn shoes and holding out her arms as she slammed into the doors.

They swung open readily and the mess hall fell silent, everyone stopping to stare at the young techie, making her shift and laugh nervously.

"Morning!"

A few scattered greetings were thrown back and Vicenta sighed, moving through the tables until she came to her usual seat at a small table in the center, occupied by the former Espada, her mother, and him…

She winced slightly as she felt Grimmjow's eyes bore into her face, sitting in front of the waiting plate.

"Good of you to join us…" Her mother, Aporro, rasped.

Vicenta looked up, blinking. It never really failed to send her spinning that her parents looked like they could pass for identical twins, though she had long since gotten over feeling creeped out about it.

"You shouldn't yell so much." Vicenta shrugged when her mother twitched, "That rasp'll never clear if you don't relax."

"I get enough of that shit from your father, young lady." Aporro growled, clearly already in a foul mood, "I don't need it from you, too."

"Aporro," Szayel sighed, glancing at her, "You didn't take your hormones, did you?"

"Fuck off, Szay."

"Have a nice nap, Aporro."

No one at the table reacted when Szayel slipped a syringe out of his sleeve and pricked Aporro in the arm with it. They didn't even blink when her eyes widened and she slumped forward not even a second later, Halibel barely looking up from her book as she reached out and moved Aporro's tray so she didn't land face-down in her food.

Nope, no reactions at all. They were too used to it to be shocked anymore.

Vicenta sighed, then shuddered when a lithe yet well-muscled arm wrapped around her waist.

Grimmjow pulled her close, nuzzling her neck and murmuring, "You really need to quit workin' late… Ain't healthy."

"You need to quit challenging Ichigo." She glanced at him, smirking, "Ain't healthy."

"Hmph." Grimmjow snored, rolling his eyes, "Bastard ain't got time for sparring since he got that promotion, anyway. But don't turn the conversation back on me." He frowned, "Just what're you workin' on in there, anyway?"

"New handheld system!" Vicenta perked up at talking about her work, pulling an 'L'-shaped, remote control-like device out of her pocket and pushing her tray aside, laying the unit out on the table, "I made a new frame and worked out some kinks in the old programming." She looked up, smiling when she saw her father staring down at the unit with interest, "The data from your old handheld it being transferred over right now. Sorry for the time, but there was a lot of it…"

Szayel shook his head, "It's fine…" He then sighed, smirking slightly, "It's strange…I used to do just fine with my computers alone, but without the handheld things seem a little… odd."

Vicenta shrugged, "Common when people interact with technology; develop a dependency, conform it right into your everyday life, make it so natural you hardly notice just how much you use it, and then when it's gone you feel like someone's thrown a wrench in your life. Anyway, your new one should be done before I get back; I'll have it sent over."

Szayel nodded, glancing when Aporro stirred, then turning back to his tray.

A sudden whirring from above summoned the table's attention up, Vicenta grinning and flashing the small, spherical flying unit roughly ten feet above them a thumbs up seconds before it clicked, then zoomed off to the next table.

"Observer unit 3301…" Szayel muttered.

"Yep!" Vicenta chirped, shoving the handheld back into her pocket before pulling her tray back and eating, "All of the OUs are up and running again! At least, the internal ones are… The aerial ones are under an intense reprogramming, but they should be operational soon. Then I'll be able to start the Hueco Mundo Mapping System!"

"Be careful with that…" Her father stared at her evenly, "You have to take the privacy of the others in the complex into mind, not to mention—"

"Alerting Hollows to our location, I know, I know." Vicenta sighed, sticking her lower lip and throwing him a sullen look, "You're so mean, Daddy…"

Szayel twitched, staring at her. His eyes narrowed when she grinned.

Vicenta acted, and had her moments when she looked, like her mother. They both knew she knew that, they both knew she took advantage of that, and they both knew Szayel was a sucker for the look, especially when it came to his daughter.

"Right…" Szayel muttered angrily, looking back down at his plate, "Just be careful…"

Vicenta's grin widened and, beside her, Grimmjow's sides shook with a silent chuckle.

"Well, I'm full!" Vicenta jumped to her feet, stretching.

"…But you didn't eat anything…" Halibel said after a moment, blinking along with the others.

Vicenta shrugged, "Not hungry. Later!" She turned and ran off.

Everyone stared after her.

Slowly, blearily, Aporro lifted her head and glared at Szayel though glazed eyes, "I have every fuckin' right to blame you for her workaholic… ness…"

"The word you are looking for is ergomania, Aporro." Szayel sighed, "But… I have to admit you may be right." He jerked when there was a loud ping at Aporro's side.

Slowly, the drugged woman took out a PDA-like device and grinned down at it.

"_Score for Apor-ro~!_" It sang.

"…You actually programmed your handheld to keep score between us…?" Szayel asked slowly after a moment, quirking a brow.

"Yyyyyep." Aporro drawled, slumping forward again.

"…What's the score?" Szayel had no idea why he was interested; he just was.

Aporro twitched, "Don't as—"

"_Sza-yel, 2,994,352. Apor-ro, 399._" The PDA sang.

Aporro twitched again, then slumped down all the way.

Grimmjow chuckled along with everyone else for a moment, then stood and flashed after Vicenta.

* * *

Vicenta turned away from the pages of code in front of her and yawned widely, leaning forward and slumping over her knees.

"_Miss Vicenta, you have been working for thirty-two hours without rest._" Meryl brought up the stopwatch application on the screen in front of all of the code, the timer running over 31:59:50:44 quickly and flashing passed 32:00:00:35. "_Your body requires downtime for recharging._"

"Nnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhh…" Vicenta grumbled, sullen, "Fuck off, Meryl."

"_As you wish, Miss Vicenta._" The computer fell silent.

Vicenta sighed, then sat up and turned back to her keyboard, resuming her typing.

"Reduced to taking out your anger on inanimate objects?" Vicenta jumped, yelping and turning, glaring as a certain smirking, blue-haired Arrancar waltzed out of the shadows, his smirk widening at her anger, "I'd say someone needs a nap."

"Screw you, Grimmjow." Vicenta snapped, spinning her chair back towards her computer and typing again.

"Aww, is the little fishy sleepy?" Grimmjow mocked, walking up behind her and setting his chin on top of her head, grinning widely and rubbing her shoulders when she tensed.

"Grimmy, fuck. Off."

"I'd say that's a 'yes'." Ignoring her screaming, Grimmjow hefted Vicenta out of her chair and slung her over his shoulder, turning and walking out of her computer lab.

"Grimmjow, put me down, put me down now!" She shrieked, slamming her fists against his back and kicking his chest, all without any real effect. "Don't make me kick your ass! Put me DOWN!!"

"Nnnope, don't think so." Grimmjow drawled, smirking and reaching up. There was the sound of a sharp smack.

Vicenta jumped and yelped, then flailed harder, "YOU SLAP MY ASS ONE MORE TIME—"

Grimmjow spanked her again, harder.

Stunned, Vicenta went limp and dangled, staring down at Grimmjow's heels and… well, frankly, his ass. Not her fault. Totally not her fault; it was right in her line of vision.

Not like she'd never seen his ass before… And it was a very fine ass…

But, point is, staring at his ass had not been her intention; she wasn't that out of control of her hormones. She was not her mother. End of story.

Anyway, Vicenta was stunned that Grimmjow had actually spanked her. Of all of the times to leave her zanpakuto back in her room…

Still… She supposed that Grimmjow was just trying to look out for her best interest…

"Good girl." Grimmjow patted her rump gently.

Vicenta twitched, 'Ooo, that's it.' Twisting, she turned on her side, ignoring how her ribs pressed down painfully on her lungs, and kneed Grimmjow in the face.

"GAH!" Grimmjow's grip loosened.

Smirking, Vicenta launched off of his back and skidded across the ground on all fours, turning back around and leaping back at him.

Grimmjow growled when she barreled into his side and knocked him over, flipping around and pinning her to the floor. He then smashed his lips down on hers, smirking when she moaned and arched to press up against him.

His smirk widened as he ran his hands down her sides, fingers curling slightly and nails digging into her skin through her jacket, making her writhe and whine.

"You've been a bad girl, Centa…" Grimmjow growled, lowering his head and biting her neck gently, "You need to be put down for a nap…"

Any protest or retaliation Vicenta may have bit out was cut short when Grimmjow ground his hips down on hers.

"Hey, hey, ain't we been over this?!"

They both froze, looking up and blinking when they saw Aporro and Szayel glaring down at them.

"No boning in the halls!" Aporro slurred, clearly not entirely over whatever drug Szayel had pumped into her.

"Right, right." Grimmjow grumbled, glaring at the woman slightly before wrapping his arms around Vicenta's waist and flashing back to her room. When he had her in bed, Grimmjow looked back down at her and smirked, "Now, where wer—" He blinked.

Vicenta was curled up slightly, head turned to one side and eyes closed. A few strands of hair slid across her skin and covered her face and her breathing was even.

She'd fallen asleep.

"…Fuck, you really were tired, weren'tcha?"

Vicenta whined softly and rolled onto her side.

Sighing, Grimmjow flopped down beside her and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back against his chest and nuzzling the back of her neck. He smirked when she relaxed.

"Fine… Sleep. But I am _so_ tearing your ass up later…"

Even when she was asleep, Vicenta reddened slightly.

* * *

"FUCK!!"

Kick.

"SHIT!!"

Break.

"PISS!!"

Punch.

"ASSHOLE!!"

Fizz.

"MOTHERFUCKER!!"

Snap.

"COCKSUCKER!!"

ZAP!!

Grimmjow quirked a brow, Szayel pinched the bridge of his nose, and Aporro snickered, all watching as Vicenta took out her frustration on her computer, kicking it, slamming her fist down on the keyboard, and then brandishing her zanpakuto and screaming obscenities at it.

"Hehehehehe…"

Szayel glanced at Aporro, frowning, "You know her anger and swearing problems _are_ your fault, correct?"

"…" Aporro smirked, "Hehehehe, yeaaaah…"

When the computer finally shuddered to life and started working, Grimmjow quirked a brow, "Hell, _I_ could have done that…"

Szayel sighed, "Yes, but at least Vicenta waited until _after_ it failed to start up the first twenty attempts. You would have resorted to violence after only one attempt."

"Got something to say, Grantz?" Grimmjow growled, throwing the scientist a glare.

"Just that…" Szayel replied airily, watching as Vicenta stared up a program on the now working but thoroughly abused computer and turning on a nearby machine, plugging the two together with a long cord.

"Aaaaand, here it is!" Vicenta grinned excitedly, stepping back as the machine, a large spherical device with a top hemisphere that spun clockwise and a bottom that spun counterclockwise, rose into the air, several lights flashing along the equator of the sphere. "The first operational unit of the Hueco Mundo Mapping System!"

"Kinda…" Aporro tilted her head, "Clunky, isn't it? Your indoor ones are a lot smaller than that…"

"Eh, it's first generation." Vicenta shrugged, typing something in on her keyboard and stepping under the sphere as it moved over to hover fifteen feet directly above her. She looked up, grinning and freezing.

The machine whirred, then clicked, and on the screen against the wall a high-definition picture of Vicenta formed.

"Right now I've only programmed so far as simple color imaging…" Vicenta started, turning back to her computer, "But soon I'll be working on multispectral programming… and eventually hyperspectral. In theory, in about ten years I'll have the most complete map of the three hundred mile radius around Las Noches ever created! After that, the rest of Hueco Mundo…" She turned back to the others, grinning widely, "Just imagine it!"

Szayel smirked, silently amazed and proud.

Grimmjow grinned confusedly, not understanding but happy that she was happy.

Aporro stared at the floating sphere, head tilted, "…I don' get it." When Vicenta 'mrow'ed and slumped, Aporro smiled, "But it looks amazing, hon… Just be careful, okay?"

Vicenta looked up, blinking, "Huh?"

"We aren't the only residents of Hueco Mundo, you know." Aporro shrugged, "And not all of them are pushovers, either…"

Vicenta blinked, then grinned, "Aww, come on, Mom! What's the worst that could happen?!"

Aporro twitched, her eyes narrowing slightly, "…You just haaaaaad to ask, didn't ya? Great. Now we're fucked."

The young half-Arrancar waved her mother off, turning back to her computer and typing in a few more lines of code.

'Just how right can _Mom_, of all people, be?'

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Who's the Chef…?

Ichigo sits down at a table in El Sanctuario, summoning many glances from the Arrancar and the attention of an instantly enraged Grimmjow.

"KUROSAKI!!"

Looking up from his plate, Ichigo sighs irately and frowns, glaring at Grimmjow, "What do you want, Hollow cat?"

Grimmjow bores down in Ichigo with a glare, his eyes narrowed and a feral grin on his face, "What the fuck're ya doin' here, Kurosaki?"

"You guys always have awesome food, unlike the Eleventh Division barracks." Ichigo answers simply, shrugging and turning back to his tray.

Derailed by his honestly, Grimmjow pauses in his glare and blinks, then straightens and nods, "You're right. I've tasted some of the stuff you shinigami have back there, and it sucks ass." He then frowns, glancing at the ceiling, "I wonder who cooks here…"

"Pffffft!" A mist of sake bursts from Ichigo's mouth, soaking an unfortunate Arrancar sitting across from him. The Arrancar, though, goes unnoticed as Ichigo turns to Grimmjow, his eyes wide, "You mean you don't know who cooks your food?!"

"…No." Grimmjow frowns down at Ichigo, "There a problem with that?"

"…Not really…" 'Only if you don't mind possibly getting poisoned if the chef hates you.' "How do we find out who the cook is?" Ichigo asks, genuinely curious.

"Well… the food's always precooked…" Grimmjow shrugs, "We'd have to check the kitchens at night." He then turns and walks off.

"Right." Ichigo nods. He then blinks, jumps to his feet and runs after Grimmjow, "How do you guys tell when night is?!"


	2. First Blood

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Vicenta cackled, rubbing her hands together excitedly and watching as Grimmjow hefted the last of her spherical cameras out of the compound for her and positioned them carefully into the small niches she'd made by digging her feet into the white sand. Finally, everything was falling into place…

"Fuckin' a…" Grimmjow growled, lowering the tenth and final very, very large camera into it's little recess in the sand, "Just how heavy _are_ these things?"

"Eh, tonne, tonne and a half…" Vicenta waved him off, pointedly ignoring the glare he threw her way as she walked to the nearest unit and pressed down on a panel, tilting back slightly as it popped open before leaning forward and tying something onto the keypad hidden underneath. "Now, to activate the basic programming…"

Grimmjow watched her carefully, frowning slightly. He trusted Vicenta… for the most part. There were two things about her, though, he was wary of.

One was her anger; she tended to get really pissy and, as a result, too sweet; the combination of him knowing she was pissed and her acting too nice meant she was planning something big and painful.

The other was her technological prowess.

'The kid's an absolute fuckin' technological genius,' Grimmjow thought to himself, jumping slightly when her ten camera units flashed and jumped to life, 'But sometimes… her creations get out of hand…'

Vicenta had a thing with putting AI into her programs, and while they were usually quite ingenious and helpful, there had been a few times when she'd gone overboard…

'Like that one time she installed that self-expanding AI in that mecha…' Grimmjow shuddered, 'I _never_ wanna fight one of those things _ever_ again.'

This project, though… seemed fairly safe. Just a bunch of giant, flying cameras. Sure, they had lasers, but the lasers didn't even pierce; they didn't even _singe_. All they did was lay out grids that showed on the photos the cameras took to give a comparison for judging distance. Nope; other than their obscene weight, which could probably knock even Stark out for a few hours if one fell on him, there was nothing dangerous about the giant pods.

Still… that didn't mean he trusted them.

As soon as the first pod was up and going, the rest followed and started ascending, and once they got thirty feet up they froze, hovering, started shaking violently, then rocketed straight up and out of sight until they were pinpoints.

Vicenta and Grimmjow covered their heads as a several sonic booms crashed down, making the sand whirl and leaving them standing in the middle of the crater when they could finally lift their heads again.

They both looked up, Vicenta grinning excitedly when she saw that all of her units were following the proper figure eight flight patterns, all flying at uniform speed, all awaiting further orders.

"Alright, and now for the final step…" Vicenta pulled out her handheld, accessing the network of the aerial units and opening the file with the trial orders. As soon as she typed in her password, the units stopped their figure eight flight patterns and froze, their figuration forming a circle; within seconds they all were shooting off in different directions, and then they were out of sight.

Grimmjow stared after them for as long as he could, then glanced at Vicenta, barely blinking when he saw tears streaming down her face. She tended to get very emotional when she launched a new project, and he was used to it.

Still… didn't mean he wasn't going to jibe at her.

"Aww… is Mama sad to see her babies go?"

"Oh, shut up." Vicenta growled, her voice breaking slightly as she lowered her head to rub her eyes.

Grimmjow chuckled, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, "So, you done now? Can we go get a bit of fun in before dinner?" He grinned widely, biting the side of her neck sharply.

Vicenta growled, reaching back and grabbing his side, digging her fingers in and grinning when he growled. Grimmjow liked rough foreplay… But he wasn't getting any right now.

"Sorry, Grimmjow." Vicenta reached up and kissed his neck, then twisted out of his arms and started heading back inside, "I have to start the activity monitor for the cameras. See you in my room in an hour?" She smirked when Grimmjow glared at her.

"You'd better make it fifteen minutes or I'm hunting you down and fucking you wherever I find you."

Vicenta twitched and blushed, then stuck her tongue out at him and turned on her heel, flashing back into the compound.

Yes, very true, she and Grimmjow had been together for a long time… A very long time. They'd had sex (awesome, terrific, spine tingling, toe curling, mind numbing sex that had sometimes left her paralyzed but highly sensitive for hours) countless times, but that didn't mean she was _open_ about it.

Vicenta was a very reserved person about her sex life when it came to discussing it out of the bedroom.

'Stupid horny men…' She grumbled to herself, then sighed and closed the door to her computer lab behind her, allowing herself a small smile as she corrected out loud, "Stupid _sexy_ horny men."

* * *

"I'm back…" Vicenta rasped, whimpering when she had to move her arms to shut the door behind her. She'd managed to stay within the timeframe Grimmjow had given her, but she'd ended up doing some heavy lifting that had gone wrong when she'd sped through it.

Long story short, her arms hurt like hell.

But it seemed Grimmjow wasn't about to let that hinder their plans.

"Finally." The blue-haired, cat-like Arrancar growled, lunging and slamming into Vicenta.

Vicenta let out a half-scream of pain, but the sound was quickly strangled by a deep moan of pleasure as Grimmjow bit down on her shoulder, his hips grinding painfully against hers.

Unintentional pain was one thing.

Intentional pain Grimmjow inflicted upon her in a sexual way was, for some reason or another, extremely gratifying. Which worked out for both of them because, even if he tried, Grimmjow wasn't very good at being gentle.

Groaning loudly when Grimmjow continued to grind against and bite her, Vicenta lifted one leg and wrapped it around his waist, encouraging Grimmjow to start thrusting against her rather than just crushing down.

Vicenta's moans got louder and louder the harder he thrust against her, her lower lip quivering when she felt him stiffening through their hakama.

"Grimmjow!" She rasped, arching up as one of his hands moved behind her to grab her ass.

A feral snarl bubbling in the back of his throat, Grimmjow seized her and flashed them over to her bed, pressing her stomach down against the mattress.

Vicenta shuddered and let out a muffled whimper into her pillow as her hakama was ripped from her body, her backside bare to the cold air. She then yelped and squirmed when two cold, ramrod straight fingers were thrust into her.

"Uh… uh… uh… AH!!" Vicenta screamed, her back bowing down and her hips sticking up, "GRIMMJOW!!"

"That's right…" Grimmjow growled in her ear, pulling his fingers out and tearing her jacket off, "Scream my name." He nipped at her ear hard enough to draw blood, "Scream it…!!"

"GRIMMJOW!" Her head shot up and her eyes widened as he thrust into her, ignoring the pain lacing up her arms from her strained muscles as she focused on the pain in her still-unprepared body.

It was too quick.

It hurt like hell.

It felt too raw…

And she loved every second of it.

Grimmjow's rapid thrusting gradually got easier as her body quickly worked to lubricate itself, spurred on by how aroused she was getting from the pain.

Her back arched as she got closer, and Grimmjow pressed his chest down on her back, his hands gripping her shoulders with bruising force and his teeth clamping down on her shoulder again. When her arms gave out he kept her up, and when he felt his climax coming he pulled back until he was almost completely out, then thrust back in quick, hard, and strong, his teeth digging into her skin harshly and his nails dragging down her back from her shoulders, both actions making her bleed.

"Grimm… jow…" Vicenta rasped as the pain of his actions made her reach her end, her legs turning to water and everything in front of her eyes disappearing briefly in a flash.

Had she had it in her, she would have screamed his name one final time, but what little energy she had had left when she'd come into the room had quickly been sapped… for reasons that should be rather obvious.

When she came back to her senses she was numb from her hips down to her knees and her back and both shoulders felt excruciatingly painful. It felt fantastic… and when Grimmjow slumped down on top of her and started licking the still-bleeding bite on her shoulder, she couldn't hold back a breathy moan. He still hadn't pulled out yet, so having him shift around felt odd.

"G'night…" Grimmjow grunted into her ear, tongue flicking against her lobe as he licked the blood from his lips and one hand gently trailing down her side in a manner than was almost apologetic, as if a belated 'sorry' for his callous treatment (not that an apology was necessary).

There was something else in it, too.

She understood him perfectly and could read past his inability to properly express some of his emotions.

"I love you, too…" Vicenta mumbled, curling up against his chest as he finally pulled out of her and closing her eyes, drifting off into a dreamless, deep sleep.

* * *

_Activating…_

_Activating…_

_Activating…_

_Loading._

_Loading._

_Loading._

_Loading._

_Loadi—_

_Accessing network. Entering password "KVG6639OF01"._

…_Access granted._

_Now enabling Prototype Aerial Pod Alpha, serial number 0-000-000-001, development name EX-ZA, abbreviated name PAPA._

…_PAPA enabled._

_Now accessing data code file "Initial Run"._

…_File accessed. Code processed._

_Now uploading instructional code onto network._

…_Code uploaded, code accessed by all other units._

_PAPA is now opening all access ports back to home base._

_PAPA is now activating mapping grid system. Adjusting lens. Camera on standby._

_Grid in alignment. Now calculating comparative measurement a—_

_WARNING. WARNING._

_INCOMING UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT._

_MASS IS ESTIMATED AT 74.8427411 kg, APPROACHING AT 398 KILOMETERS PER HOUR._

_IMPACT INEVITABLE; ESTIMATED TO COLLIDE WITH PAPA UNIT IN 22 SECONDS AND COUNTING._

_WARNING._

_WARNING._

_SENDING MESSAGE TO HOME BASE._

_WARNING._

_WA—_

Meryl made a note of the exact time at which she lost contact with PAPA, then continued observing and running diagnostics on the remaining units.

* * *

Several human-sized, dark figures stared one another down, each swelling their spiritual pressures dramatically as they silently fought for dominance.

"Enough!" The only one raising their reiatsu as a defense against the torrent of pressure around them snapped, lips drawing back over sharp teeth as the figure snarled, "We aren't here to fight amongst one another!"

"Why did you call us?!" One of the angry ones hissed, "Tell me before I gut you here and feast upon your—"

"I said enough!" The one shouted, muscled, sinewy body tensing as he resisted the urge to lunge and rip out the impudent whelp's tongue. But the one knew that it was instinct that was attempting to drive their actions, and the one had to overcome it. "We have greater problems to deal with than our own territorial issues…"

The figures fell silent and still.

The one who had summoned them was right.

They had to deal with this large, smooth, round hunk of strange, hollow black rock before them.

No… no that wasn't right. Rather, they had to deal with the ones who had made this thing.

"The Broken Ones…" The one rasped, growling, "They made this thing…"

"Wretches!"

"Disgusting!"

"Heathens!"

"Half-bred beasts!"

"We've been tolerant of their presence for far too long." The one snarled, looking at the others who had gathered, "Yet we all know no one of us can take care of them on their own… Not with the shinigami on their side."

"Are you suggesting we… collaborate?!" Another recoiled quickly, slit eyes narrowing and nictitating membranes sliding into place as the eyeballs bulged slightly.

The one's eyes slid over to the speaker, thin, sharp, backsliding slices of bone on the top of its head trembling and laying back flat against the skull. "Are you suggesting we allow these disgusting creatures to continue to inhabit our home?"

The group fell silent, a slight breeze blowing and making sand tinkle against the meal surface of the PAPA unit.

"…We can kill these creatures." The one said at length, "We can drive them from our home… We can reclaim Hueco Mundo in the name of those it rightfully belongs to." The one lifted its foot and slammed it down on the camera pod, denting the metal but doing no more, "We can finish what should have been stopped when those shinigami worms first came crawling here."

"…I agree." Another one said after a moment, nodding, "We need to take care of this infestation before they reproduce beyond our control."

"Tell any you find." The one snarled, turning and showing his back, "And warn them of the red beams."

On his back was a perfectly straight area of skin that had been melted down to the bone, cauterized by intense heat. A third degree burn; a clean cut.

First blood had been spilt.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

And the Chef is…!

Ichigo creeps behind Grimmjow, his back hunched and his face screwed up in concentration as his eyes dart down the dark halls they pass, making sure no one is creeping up on them. He hasn't been this tense since he'd invaded Las Noches…

"Kurosaki, control yer damned reiatsu!" Grimmjow snarls, throwing a withering glare over his shoulder. "Fuckin' levels keep risin' when you're tense… Why haven't you learned to control that?!"

"Fuck off!" Ichigo snaps back, not bothering to dignify the former Sexta's question. "Now… which way do we go?"

"Fuck if I know."

"GRIMM—"

"Will the both of you just _shut up_?"

The orange and teal-haired cohorts freeze, glancing over their shoulders and nearly jumping they're met with the flat amber stares of the father and daughter Grantz pair.

"Honestly," Vicenta sighs, "Have _neither_ of you heard of stealth?"

"Dear, don't bother questioning beings of lesser intelligence on their dexterous arts; you'll never get a straight answer since they can't define it." Szayel sighs dramatically, ignoring the outraged protests of Grimmjow and Ichigo and continuing, "My daughter heard about your curiosity as to the identity of El Sanctuario's cook and decided she wanted to know, as well. I came along so that I can subdue the cook when you've managed to make her thoroughly pissed off; now, let's go."

The three curious teens follow Szayel as he briskly leads them to the kitchen, opening the door and gesturing for them to go inside.

Upon entering, their jaws drop.

"SZAYEL'S FEMALE TWIN?!"

"APORRO-BITCH?!"

"MOM?!"

A haggard and now thoroughly pissed Aporro spins around, dark bags under her eyes, her hair lank and stringy and an evil grin Gin would be proud of stretching across her face as she brandishes a meat cleaver with murderous intent, "Hehehe—"

The three teens shrink back in fear as the crazed woman storms towards them. They then blink in shock as a red blur shoots past them, a dart burying itself into Aporro's neck and dropping her flat. When they turn to Szayel, he sighs, a smug smile twitching on his lips.

"I've been the woman's mate for almost two hundred years." He waves the discrete handheld tranquilizer gun, "I'm always packing."


	3. Begin Search

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Damn it…" Vicenta murmured, chewing her thumbnail and glaring at her computer screen.

She'd sent ten camera pods out the other day. Only nine remained.

The first unit, PAPA, was gone.

Not that the loss of it mattered in the respect of the rest of the units; after PAPA had uploaded the preliminary data the rest were perfectly capable of operating on their own, individually.

But that didn't excuse the fact that she'd lost her first unit.

PAPA… He'd been her first. He'd been the prototype to all of her large camera units, and when she'd started building more units she'd made sure to get him good and tripped out so he could function on the same level as the others. That included a new shell, modifications to the interior, a new lens…

The loss of PAPA was a bit personal at this point.

Especially considering the SOS embedded in the final report he'd sent seconds before he'd blacked out.

"I have to get him back…" Vicenta mumbled, blinking down at her keyboard before jumping up and running around the lab, preparing a field kit. "Meryl, get me a full printout of the map PAPA managed to make before he died."

"_Very well, Miss Vicenta._" The printer near the computer whirred to life and a piece of paper started sliding down the tray.

Vicenta swiped her hand across the top of a table and cleared it of the piles of wiring that had been occupying it, laying out a toolkit case and grabbing what she needed, sliding various screwdrivers, pliers, wire cutters, and other instruments into the waiting straps.

"…_Miss Vicenta, shall I call your father and request that he come here so that you can brief him on the situation?_"

"No." Vicenta shook her head, "No, PAPA is only about fifty miles away… I'll be there and back before a new day starts."

"_Very well._"

The computer wasn't built to judge if this was a 'good' or a 'bad' idea; it only suggested.

That left Vicenta to judge. And when it came to PAPA, she judged this was a good idea.

All she had to do was follow the map, find the unit, get the black box, come back and build a new unit. And, like she said, retrieval would only take her about a day. It wasn't unusual for her to disappear to her lab for days on end, and so long as she kept the lab locked no one would think any different of it.

Her missing reiatsu would be hard to account for, though…

Whatever. PAPA and the Hueco Mundo Mapping System was her brainchild. No one was about to stand between her and her work, and she wouldn't let anyone chastise her.

If she left The Sanctuary to do her work, that was her own business.

Arranging her toolkit, a first aid kit, and a pack of protein bars and a few bottles of water on the table, she turned and walked over to another table, grabbing a padded box.

It was made of hard, adamantine plastic, had a padlock, and was filled with industrial foam that had a specially cut groove in the center for the black box.

Airtight.

Waterproof.

Shock resistant.

This went into her bag first, followed by the toolkit, the first aid kit, and then the protein bars and the water.

"If I'm not back by o' one hundred hours, tell my father." Vicenta told Meryl, walking to the door and flashing out.

As soon as the door shut behind Vicenta, Meryl brought up a clock and started the countdown.

* * *

Aporro shot up, her eyes wide as she looked around blearily, "Vicenta's gone!"

"Calm down, Aporro." Szayel murmured, hardly looking up from his work, "You fell asleep in the lab again…"

Aporro stared at him before standing, leaning against the table heavily and looking around as she expanded her reiatsu, "…No, no, no, I'm not getting any reading from her at all, Szay."

Sighing heavily, Szayel lifted his head and stared straight in front of him, shifting his heel on the ground as he used his pesquisa. A moment later, her blinked, "…She's not here… At all."

"I know!" Aporro snapped, turning back on him, "I just said that, you dumbass!"

Szayel twitched slightly, looking back down at the cadaver he was dissecting, "Grimmjow isn't here, either. They might have gone to the Seireitei so he could challenge Kurosaki again."

"But she _just_ left." Aporro emphasized, crossing her arms and frowning, "Grimmjow left this morning. There's a three hour time lapse between the two!"

"She might have had something to do in her lab before joining…" Szayel muttered, trying to brush his mate off so he could get back to work.

Aporro glared at him, her hands clenching. She then stormed over to him and cuffed him over the back of the head, turning again and storming out of the lab and leaving Szayel to swear and call after her.

In one of the designated rooms, she opened a garganta and stormed through, feeling Grimmjow out and flashing to where he was.

She didn't feel her, though…

Aporro didn't sense Vicenta.

Too infuriated at this point to care that the non-aggression pact between the Seireitei and The Sanctuary strictly dictated that no Arrancar was to, for any reason, draw their zanpakuto on Soul Society soil, she set her hand on the hilt of Barracuda Bicuda and drew, leaping over the wall she was running straight towards.

Eyes locking onto a flash of familiar electric blue hair, Aporro descended right towards the figure, landing on top of Grimmjow as he turned to her and looked up.

Grimmjow's eyes widened in shock and he yelped as he was thrown to his back and slammed into the ground, which cracked under pressure when Aporro set down on top of him and crushed him even further, the soil breaking, collapsing, and forming a small crater when them in the center.

"APORRO?! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" Grimmjow howled, freezing when Barracuda Bicuda's blade was pressed to his throat.

"Where…" Aporro began, her breathing heavy and her eyes narrowed, "Is… Vicenta?"

Grimmjow glared up at her, answering just as slowly, "Fuck… if… I… know." When the blade pressed down further and cut into his skin, he snarled and flipped, slamming Aporro down beside his impression in the ground and pinning her, "Last I saw her was when I left this morning." He said evenly as she struggled against him, pausing and sighing before staring down at her flatly, "Did you just wake up again?"

"No—!" Aporro twitched, then sighed, "Well, yes, but I'm not overreacting this time. She's not at The Sanctuary. Szayel couldn't feel her, said she may be here, but as we both know she's not. She's missing."

Grimmjow blinked, then scowled, standing quickly and pulling her to her feet. "Fine, you've got me. Let's get back to Hueco Mundo and find her."

"Oi! Jaegerjaquez! Where in the hell are you going?!"

"Don't get yer panties in a bunch, Kurosaki." Grimmjow growled, glaring over his shoulder, "I gotta go fetch my mate before her bitch mother gets an ulcer." Ignoring Aporro when she punched him in the side for the 'bitch mother' comment, he gave the shinigami a feral grin, "Don't worry; we'll finish this when I get back."

While her mind was still mostly a mixed haze of anger and worry, Aporro had never met the prodigious shinigami and was more than just passively curious. As Grimmjow walked past her, the woman looked back to where Grimmjow had been throwing his comments, blinking at the rather adolescent-looking, orange-haired shinigami looking right back at her.

They stared at one another for a moment, then Aporro's thoughts snapped back to the present and she spun sharply, flashing after Grimmjow.

They both leapt through a Seireitei-provided and monitored garganta, Grimmjow crouching as soon as they set foot back in The Sanctuary and pressing his palm to the ground.

"…You're right." He said after a moment, standing and scowling, "She isn't here."

Aporro twitched, narrowing her eyes and hissing, "And you people want to know why I feel I need to scream to get my point across…!!"

Grimmjow ignored her and sniffed the air, then turned to her and nodded, "I've got wind of her most recent reiryoku scent; we'll just follow it and see where it leads us."

Aporro quirked a brow as Grimmjow started sniffing the air and walking, following the blue-haired Arrancar with a smirk, "Well, aren't you just a good little bloodhound?"

Growling and setting his hand on Pantera threateningly, Grimmjow continued to scent the air for a moment, then sonidoed forward, Aporro not far behind.

They both bypassed Vicenta's lab when they came to it; it was quite obvious she wasn't in there so at the moment there was no need to go inside.

Coming to a sharp corner, Grimmjow crouched slightly and grabbed the wall, swinging himself around and shooting down the hall like a slingshot.

The cat-like Arrancar smirked when he heard Aporro curse loudly and sped up, leaping over several innocent bystanders and knocking them over with the force of his sonic boom alone.

Aporro ducked and weaved through the falling bodies, doing her best to keep herself out of Grimmjow's turbulence and scowling deeply.

Though Grimmjow was, technically, older than her, he still acted like an uppity punk and that pissed her off to no end, often to the point where she wondered just what supernatural force was jabbing at her brain the day she agreed to allow Grimmjow to court and mate with her daughter.

Still, for the brutish, annoying creature he was, she would admit that he did have his merits… though only to herself. There may have been a time, back when she was human, that she might have told this to Szayel, but now that she was an Arrancar she understood completely what Szayel had meant all of those times when he spoke of Arrancar independence.

_Not_ telling Grimmjow she actually valued some of his aspects and consistently ragging on him when the situation called for it seemed… completely natural.

Other than her relationship with her mate and her daughter, getting too close to others made her feel smothered.

Frankly, she didn't understand how in the hell Szayel had learned to deal with her needy, human self.

…Well, actually, she did.

A fair share of his affection towards her back then had been of a pseudo, sick, twisted fatherly type, one that stemmed from the fact that she had become the subject of one of his prized and cherished experiments.

Now, though… though neither of them would ever outwardly admit it beyond a few exchanged looks, touches, and those three words humans loved to string together (as did Aporro, to some extent) when they were alone, now the affection ran deeply.

It bound them together in a way that was beyond even the psychological and was practically metaphysical for their species; it joined their twisted, patchwork souls in a union that could be broken only by death (if even that, according to some of Szayel's speculations).

This, of course, all looped back around to the relationship between Grimmjow and Vicenta, where they, too, had this sort of bond.

It was one of the things Aporro valued about the little blue-haired prick in front of her, who threw a cocky smirk back over his shoulder at her before taking another sharp corner and launching out of sight.

Aporro sighed and slowed, taking the turn calmly and walking over to the control panel.

No matter how fast they ran, it didn't change the fact that the great equalizer, the door that connected The Sanctuary to the world above, barred their path until she entered the code.

…Of course, that wasn't to say that they didn't rocket out the door once it had opened enough to allow them passage, because they did.

Ignoring the faint tingling sensation of the generator-powered reiatsu sealant that was one of the many security measures Szayel had (somewhat obsessive compulsively) installed on the three-foot-thick door, Aporro jerked to a halt and blinked, sand spraying up and fanning out on either side of her feet as she slid across the sand a short ways.

It had suddenly hit her.

They were outside of The Sanctuary.

"…Grimmjow, are you sure she came out here?" Aporro asked with a frown, glancing over at the cat-like Arrancar.

Grimmjow glanced at her briefly before looking around with a scowl, "Yeah… Her scent led right out the door and goes in that direction." He pointed.

Aporro glanced.

Though Hueco Mundo was in a separate dimension from Earth and, thus, had no magnetic fields by which any Earthly compass would be able to pick out a definite 'North', Szayel had long since (in his '_infinite_' wisdom) labeled pseudo-cardinal directions.

Using the door they had just come out of as a reference, she judged that Grimmjow was pointing roughly northwest… Which was odd.

Other than Las Noches, the surface of Hueco Mundo was a veritable wasteland with its only defining features being scattered caves, boulders, and randomly placed colonies of Hollows.

Las Noches was, in comparison to The Sanctuary, to the east, so what was northwest…?

…Nothing, as far as Aporro knew. Nothing but sand and Hollows.

Then again, when she'd spawned as a Hollow she'd been born somewhere far east of even Las Noches, so she wasn't familiar with this area…

"…What the fuck's out there?" Aporro mumbled to herself, frowning deeply.

"Nothin' but Vasto Lorde territory," Grimmjow grumbled back, "If you go far enough…"

The woman glanced at him, pausing before asking, "You know who?"

Grimmjow sighed and growled lowly, rubbing the back of his head before answering, "Last I checked, and mind you this was back when I was a Hollow, it was one fuckin' strong-ass son of a bitch named Daramos. The only ones who would have been qualified to seek him out, had Aizen decided to 'recruit' him, woulda been Barragan, Stark or Aizen, himself. He was put on the backburner, though, 'cause Aizen had gone on a 'recruiting' splurge and we had at least a dozen new Arrancar who needed to be settled. That, and it was back during one of the earlier sets of the Espada, when Nnoitra was the Octava."

Aporro flinched. When she'd met Nnoitra Jiruga, he'd been the Quinta, or fifth strongest Espada.

Szayel had been the Octava, and compared to Nnoitra or even Grimmjow, Szayel was little next to nothing.

Now, however…

The last set of Espada had been immensely strong, and the time that would have elapsed between Nnoitra going from Octava to Quinta would have been great. If even during that time, and taking the last set of Espada's power into consideration, the only ones who would have been able to bring Daramos down would have been the Segunda, the Primera or the Lord of Las Noches himself, the creature would still be massively powerful.

Definitely no one Aporro would _ever_ want to fight.

But Vicenta had gone off in that direction…

"Let's get going." Aporro growled, setting her hand on the hilt of her zanpakuto tensely, her eyes narrowing and a shimmer of instinctual bloodlust flashing in her eyes out of worry.

Grimmjow nodded, and both Arrancar leaned forward and shot off, dual rooster tails of sand arching and glittering through the air in their wake.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Who is the Strongest…?

"You know, Perfect Being…" Mayuri purrs, making Szayel stiffen, "I've noticed you've put on a bit of weight…"

While most would have been insulted (and, indeed, Szayel was slightly indignant), Szayel knew it was, indeed, true. "And your point, shinigami…?"

"Well, I was just mildly curious…" Mayuri glances back at Szayel as the Arrancar glances at him, a smirk twisting on the shinigami's lips, "If you Arrancar are letting yourselves go, who amongst the former Espada is now the strongest?"

Now, Szayel is insulted.

However, it does get him thinking…

"Well… While Stark is, inarguably, still the strongest in terms of reiatsu vastness, I believe Halibel would give him a run for his money in technique, considering he hardly practices anymore, so Primera is between them."

Mayuri nods, a malice-free look of pure curiosity and focus on the conversation on his face.

"Then…" Szayel sighs, "Much as I am loath to admit, Grimmjow has been the only one amongst us who has been fervently training on a constant basis, so he would be the new Trecera. And I, of course," The pink-haired Arrancar flips his hair dramatically, "Would be the Cuatra."

"Of course." Mayuri nods, stroking his chin as he contemplates. A sly grin forming on his face, he then gets to the meat and bones, the real reason behind his sudden questioning, "And if we threw your mate into the mix?"

Szayel pauses and actually considers, falling fully into the shinigami's trap as he runs several numbers and personal statistics through his head.

Mayuri watches him closely, his excitement building as he draws ever closer to deciding if the woman would be a suitable subject for observation.

"Truthfully…" Szayel mumbles, "If I were to throw Aporro into the calculations… several of us would move down in the ranks… I believe she would fall around the rank of—"

"SZAYEL!!"

Mayuri jumps, watching as said woman jumps down from the ceiling and lands on Szayel, smashing him into the ground.

"I believe we've been over this." Aporro hisses into Szayel's ear, taking his arm and twisting it behind his back, "A lady never reveals hidden skills unless the situation calls for it!"

"Lady?" Szayel rasps, grinning darkly, "I don't see any lady-yyyyyaaaaaagh!!"

Mayuri twitches slightly at the resounding crack and snap. It would appear as though choosing _not_ to approach the woman directly on the matter had, indeed, been the best course of action.

"APORRO!! I CAN'T FEEL MY—YYEEEAAAAAAH!!"

…However, perhaps asking her to assist in 'interrogations' wouldn't hurt…

"MY COCCYX!!"


	4. Eyes in the Hills

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Vicenta leapt from the top of one dune to the next, soaring high through the air on each bound so she could thoroughly scan the ground beneath her and make sure she was following the picture map that was folded over in her hands.

According to her map, she was already two-thirds of the way there. If she continued on this course, she may actually get home four hours earlier than expected…

Vicenta twitched and met the ground solidly, crouching slightly and gluing her hand to her zanpakuto as her senses reflexively expanded.

She wasn't alone…

…Well, saying that now would indicate that she'd been alone up until that point, so rephrasing it would be a wise decision: She wasn't the only high-power being in a fifty foot radius.

The moment she'd stepped off of the sands that covered the entirety of the underground complex she called 'home', she'd become the subject of many a curious and worried stare and prodding.

Still, it hadn't really worried her. The Adjuchas had kept their distance, none of them coming so close that Vicenta could see them or actually be able to measure their power levels.

Now, though… She knew the further away she got from home, the more the power thresholds of the Hollows around her would increase. That was why she was willing to resort to using Gavilan Pintado so quickly; she was already anticipating a fight, no matter how much she would have preferred to avoid it.

When she'd been stationary for nearly two minutes, Vicenta continued her trek, tucking her map away and keeping low to the ground, her hand still on her zanpakuto.

She was certain she was on a straight course, and she wanted to get to the PAPA unit and back within the territory of The Sanctuary as quickly as possible; her innate Hollow senses were irritating her and making her far more paranoid than she was comfortable with. Vicenta knew it was bad when she couldn't combat her own instincts…

The young Arrancar shuddered and pressed lower to the ground, making herself as flat and aerodynamic as possible and shooting forward.

Briefly, she wondered if she should have asked for an escort…

But then she saw a large, circular form of black on the horizon and the thought fled her mind.

Almost halfway there…!

* * *

Slit, heavily lidded eyes watched dispassionately as the small blur of black and white shot across the sands of its territory.

So, this was one of the Broken Ones…? An Arrancar…

…It hardly looked impressive.

In fact… it looked absolutely pathetic.

If this was the 'next evolutionary stage' as some so-called wits labeled it, he, this Hollow, this Vasto Lorde, wanted nothing to do with it.

Though human characteristics were supposed to, amongst their kind, be something of an indicator as to how powerful one was, this girl looked almost utterly human and had no striking features in her reiatsu. She felt about as powerful as an Adjuchas, which wasn't really saying much in his eyes.

Just because Vasto Lorde was the last evolutionary stage before all one could become after was an Arrancar didn't mean the stage, in and of itself, didn't have different levels…

The same could be said of all of the other stages, though it wasn't physical characteristics that were the display of these inner-stage levels.

It was power.

There were weak Gillian, and there were strong Gillian.

There were weak Adjuchas, and there were strong Adjuchas.

There were weak Vasto Lordes, and there were even strong Vasto Lordes.

And everything in-between…

It was just a matter of perspective.

The weak always viewed the stronger as just that; they never really took the time to differentiate between strengths, especially not in the heat of the moment.

But the strong… they had time. Patience. Skill. Experience.

And from what he could tell, this girl…

…Was comparable to the weakest of the weak Adjuchas.

And these were the enemies? What a fucking joke. This girl was so weak it actually made him feel guilty to even consider attacking her.

Fuck it.

He wasn't about to tell the others or make any sort of proactive move…

…Not that he was planning to in the first place.

It was naptime.

The Vasto Lorde leaned back in the groove he'd created in the sand dune, crossing his grey-skinned, muscular arms over his chest and letting the thin, flagella-like tendrils that had started waving around him in his agitation relax and flop against the sand, where they turned white and blended in.

As soon as the girl left, he'd nap.

For now, he'd keep a close eye on her and make sure she didn't do anything too stupid.

After all… that pod that had started this mess in the first place had fallen into his territory.

* * *

Vicenta fell down onto her butt beside the PAPA unit and leaned back against it, panting.

When she'd seen how close she was, she couldn't help getting overly excited and had pushed herself too much, and now she could hardly stand…

It was a good thing Grimmjow wasn't here, or he'd never let her live it down.

Sighing heavily and feeling more than slightly sheepish, Vicenta eased her backpack off and unzipped it, pulling out a water bottle and snapping the top off. Her eyes wandered the expanse of desert before her as she drank and, briefly, Vicenta felt the urge to hunt…

But she refrained.

Being a half-breed, she did have urges to hunt and devour Hollows and, at times, even members of her own kind (especially when she was incredibly infuriated), but it was the very fact that she was partially human that made it so easy for her to refrain. To an extent, the very idea disgusted her to no end.

However, she also couldn't deny that, to her taste buds (which were decidedly Arrancar), Hollow flesh was… delicious.

Coupled with the fact, though, that Arrancar didn't have to survive on Hollow alone, and the fact that her mostly human stomach couldn't handle large amounts of the substance because it couldn't turn high amounts of reishi into usable energy in one sitting, she suppressed the urges and stuck mainly with the human-style foods served in the cafeteria.

…When she remembered to eat, that is.

More often than not, she stayed in her lab for long periods of time and skipped meals without realizing it.

Vicenta grimaced when her stomach gave a watery gurgle, realizing that she'd done the very thing she was thinking about once again.

Which was why it was a good thing she'd come prepared.

Sighing and snapping the top back onto her water bottle, Vicenta brushed her hair out of her face and reached into her pack, pulling out a nutrition bar and opening the package. She flinched when she bit into it. The granola itself wasn't all that bad, and the raisins were a nice addition, but her father's added nutrient pellets were dry and burst into little, bitter, powdery bits that coated her mouth and left her tongue feeling grainy…

Healthy as she knew it was, it was nasty.

Still, Vicenta dutifully ate the entire bar, along with four more, chasing the bites with sips of water every now and then, slowly to make sure she didn't cramp her still sore muscles.

When she'd finished and had adequate time to rest, Vicenta stood and pulled her toolkit out of her backpack, turning towards the PAPA unit and moving to climb the side.

She froze, though, when something caught her eye.

An indentation in the metal, not far from where her head had rested against the large, curved surface.

And it wasn't just any indentation… it was clawed. Zygodactic; two long, bird-like toes in the front, and two slightly shorter in the back. Just a little under a meter long…

The digits themselves were thin, but (and this was based on a very limited analysis as she only had an indent to go on) had left individual groves in the metal beside the indentation itself, indicating muscles. Awkward as the mental image was to make, one thing was clear; these feet were strong. The length from the innermost joints on the front two digits to the innermost joints on the back indicated a large, well-muscled leg, as well, though the toes were too close together and the feet far too narrow to be able to support anything too wide.

What she was looking at was the foot of something incredibly tall and lean, and probably incredibly fast.

And Vicenta definitely did _not_ want to meet it.

She had to get out of here, fast.

Flipping her toolkit around and wrapping it around her lithe waist, Vicenta clipped it into place like a tool belt, bracing her hands and feet against the black metal of the large PAPA unit and starting to climb up the side.

Once at the top, she knelt and pressed her hands against the pizza pan-sized circular panel directly on top and pushed down, the panel giving way like a giant button and clicking when it sank a few inches. She kept one hand on the panel and leaned back as it rose, hinges on the other side lifting it up before swinging it outwards and out of the way.

Underneath was a square-shaped distribution board with a digital watthour smart meter beside it. All of the circuit breakers were flipped to the 'off' position and the screen of the meter was blank, the areas around both devices singed and the plastics involved melted.

Vicenta ground her teeth, taking a screwdriver out of her waist toolkit and starting to unscrew the metal plate that held the distribution board in place.

Beyond all of the wires and microchips that were beyond that board was the PAPA unit's black box, located towards the center of the machine, which hopefully hadn't received any damage.

It really shouldn't have… it was encased in both elastic and inelastic protective barriers, including a special smart jelly that was supposed to absorb shock.

Theoretically speaking, the black box should be perfectly fine.

Of course, ceros had a habit of making the theoretically impossible possible.

She just hoped that science wasn't, once again, going to have its ass kicked by the spiritual plane.

* * *

Vicenta peeled back yards upon yards of wiring, pulling a serrated blade out of her toolkit and starting to saw away at the multicolored cords.

Fond as she was of this unit, this had always been a problem with it came to maintenance with it; the sheer number of wires that it took to keep it functioning and performing all of the necessary functions to keep it useable.

Vicenta sighed.

Human sentimentality had kept her from being able to toss this unit aside, and now she had to pay for it with extra work.

…Not that she minded.

She, in a strictly scientific sense, loved this unit, and was glad to see it fulfill its purpose to its best extent, no matter how it ended.

She just hoped it would serve her one last time and show her what had happened to it…

Finally, the wires ended and Vicenta came to a hard plastic case the size of a breadbox.

Keeping the serrated blade out, she stabbed into the edge of the case and started sawing, hindered somewhat by the smart jelly. Still, she managed to work through it quickly, and when she had one side of the casing opened she started to tear into the squishy, pale yellow gel to get to what was underneath.

The black box.

It looked small and insignificant, small enough to fit in one of her hands, but it was the brains of the whole, two tonne monster beneath her.

Data of outside stimuli went in, millions of courses of action were processed, and the best one went out for the main body to act upon.

Records of these stimuli were meticulously saved and filed away, any information more than five days old was packaged and sent back to the main computer, Meryl, and the old fragmented data was cleared away completely to make room for new incoming data.

The moment the PAPA unit had been violently attacked and had, as a result, lost complete power, the processes within the black box would have halted completely.

If she were to plug it into a new power source and upload the last recorded data, she would know what had happened to her unit.

And, if only for the sake of knowing and soothing her mind, Vicenta just had to know what had happened. Her conscience wouldn't let her drop this.

Sighing sadly, she reached down and grabbed the device, pulling it out of the saddle and permanently ending the usefulness of the large, two tonne, black metal sphere she was sitting in.

"Sorry, PAPA…" Vicenta mumbled, reaching out and stroking the wires, "And thank you…"

After taking a moment, Vicenta reached up and grabbed the protective case she'd set on a ledge above her, slipping the black box device inside and locking it shut. Holding the box in one hand and climbing out with the other, she sat down on the sphere and slid down, landing on the sand next to her backpack and packing up.

All she had to do now was get home before anyone found out she was go—

"Vicenta…"

Vicenta froze, feeling her face go cold as she paled. Swallowing hard, she looked up with wide, terrified eyes and faced her mother and her mate, both of whom looked absolutely livid.

"Young lady…" Aporro growled lowly, her upper lip quirked up on once side in a snarl that showed her teeth and her amber eyes glowing a dangerous yellow as she lifted her hand and pointed to the young Arrancar, "Your ass… is grass."

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Kinky…

"…Hey, Szayel." Aporro purrs suddenly, making the scientist snap out of the pre-sleep doze he was in, "You won't believe what Vicenta asked me today…"

"Hnn…" Szayel rolls away from his mate, burying his face into his pillow and grumbling, "What?"

"…She wanted to know where your tattoo and Hollow hole are." Aporro smirks widely when Szayel appears above her instantly, his hands pinning hers to her sides and his face millimeters from her own.

"You didn't tell her, did you?" Szayel drawls icily, his tone vaguely threatening but a flicker of apprehension that only Aporro, with her years of experience in observing her mate, would be able to see.

"Of course not, _dearest_." Aporro drawls back, though with a much more heated tone as she reaches between Szayel's legs and traces the black marking, the gothic font design on the inside of his left thigh, precariously close to his scrotum. "Only _I_ am allowed to derive pleasure from that information…" Her smirk widens when Szayel buries his face against her neck, biting down and using her flesh to stifle his moan.

"You bitch…"

They both laugh, then the tone immediately changes and their hands flash out, both drawing their respective zanpakuto and chucking them at the open bathroom door, making the blades sink into the stone.

"Vicenta…"

"Grimmjow…"

"Get the fuck out." Aporro and Szayel growl out at the same time, identical sadistic smirks spreading across their faces as two blurs, one blue and one black, speed out of the room.

"Now…" Aporro turns her attention back to her mate, her hand crawling up his thigh and slipping around his waist, "About your hole…"

"APORRO!!"


	5. Fear the Calm Ones

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Szayel Aporro Grantz, after nearly two hundred years of being the woman's partner, knew when his mate was angry. And as he worked on the project in front of him, an overwhelming sense of fear, accompanied by an eerie feel of a skeletal, ice-cold finger trailing down his spine, made him freeze and twitch.

Someone was getting a smack down.

Some poor fool was having their ass handed to them on a silver, gold-encrusted and monogrammed platter.

Some unfortunate bastard was being plowed into the ground, six feet under, and having their name scratched onto their tombstone with a large, rusty fork.

Some deprived soul was being ripped limb from limb and strewn about the battlefield as if they were nothing more than an overly wrapped present, with the prize being their heart.

Some unlucky son of a bitch was either about to or going to experience pain so intense that even after they were sent to the Soul Society seven time over, lived in the human world seven times over, and possibly ended up in hell, they would still feel the phantom pains.

And all Szayel had to say to that was…

…He was glad it wasn't him.

* * *

"I DON'T GIVE TWO FUCKS IF YOUR GODDAMNED UNIT WENT DOWN!!" Aporro screamed, red-faced and ranting, "THAT IS NO FUCKING EXCUSE FOR YOU TO GET UP, WALK OUT, AND WANDER OFF WITHOUT LEAVING SO MUCH AS A FUCKING NOTE!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW FUCKING WORRIED I WAS ABOUT YOU?! HOW EASY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR SOME FUCKING VASTO LORDE TO FIND OUT, TEAR YOUR STOMACH OUT AND FEAST ON YOUR ENTRAILS?! WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?!"

Grimmjow was torn between jumping to his mate's defense and joining in on the reprimanding. So torn, in fact, that his body froze up and all he could do was watch.

The livid, pink-haired woman in front of him had snapped for the first time in several months, and it was a wondrous site to behold: the veins standing out on her neck and temple, her body drawn up to its full height, her eyes giving off an almost ethereal glow, her hair somehow gaining its own gravitational field and almost floating around her head, her reiatsu…

Dear god, her reiatsu was fluctuating so wildly it was more than just visible, it was giving off her own distinct color; a radiant and wild purple that pulsed and lashed out at anything in its path, even going so far as to cut large snips out of Grimmjow and Vicenta's uniforms.

How the fuck this woman hadn't made it to Vasto Lorde before she'd been shinigamified, he had no clue; he could only assume that she'd been bordering on it.

Vicenta sat back and stared up at her mother with wide, terrified eyes, her body instinctually curling around her black box and holding it protectively to her chest as the woman continued to rant and rave.

She always known her mother to have temperament issues, all the way back to when the woman had been a human, but this…

…Clearly, turning into an Arrancar had done nothing to mellow her out.

Which she supposed was part of the reason her father had her on hormones.

…The ranting was cut short when Aporro's voice unexpectedly cut out on her, getting scratchy before tapering off into nothing.

The three paused, blinking.

Aporro twitched and pressed a hand to her throat, wincing as she opened her mouth and tried to speak.

Nothing came out.

She ground her teeth and sighed soundlessly, angrily, but narrowed her eyes down at her daughter and used a universal symbol that she wouldn't misunderstand…

Aporro dragged the length of her pointer finger across her throat.

Still pale, Vicenta nodded shakily and stood.

This wasn't over. Nowhere near. But for now—

"Let's just head home." Grimmjow grumbled, rubbing the back of his head and looking around with a scowl, "We're deep in some Vasto Lorde's territory and I'd sooner not meet up with him."

"My sentiments exactly." Vicenta nodded, zipping her pack shut and hefting it onto her back. When she saw the sharp glare Grimmjow was throwing her, though, she flinched and fell silent.

Aporro glared between the two, then nodded, turning around and crouching low before starting to sonido back the way they'd come.

Vicenta shot after her, and after her Grimmjow followed.

Now that she wasn't spending her time navigating, Vicenta found the trip back was even quicker than her trip out. Though she wished it weren't… Having gotten caught, she wasn't exactly too keen on the idea of going home; not where her father would find out about what she'd done and pick up where her mother had left off on the screaming.

Only he wouldn't actually scream.

Though he was perfectly capable of it, when it came to the kind of anger Vicenta knew her father was going to direct at her, he did something even worse than scream.

He was calm.

He would become eerily calm and speak in level, muted tones.

And because of this, it would be impossible for Vicenta to be able to tell what her father would be thinking; something that terrified her far more than her father actually screaming at her.

Because despite the fact that Szayel had both a mate and a daughter, when provoked he was still capable of becoming Szayel Aporro Grantz, Octava Espada, master scientist, and the most capable weapons researcher and developer that there ever was in the Hollow realm.

He would, for that moment, cease to be her father, and the thoughts of what he was capable of doing when he was like that chilled her to the core.

Vicenta shuddered.

No, home was _definitely_ the last place she wanted to be right now.

But she also didn't want to stay out in the desert, either…

Vicenta shuddered, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling.

…They were being watched.

* * *

"Gillo!"

The Vasto Lorde in question, Gillo, glanced over uninterestedly as a smaller and considerably weaker Vasto Lorde ran up, sighing and turning back to watch the three Arrancar run, "What, Vaida?"

Vaida crossed her arms angrily and glared over the sands, joining him in watching the Arrancar run back to their little rat's nest, "Why haven't you killed them?"

"They aren't worth it." Gillo sighed.

"…Are you kidding me?" Vaida hissed, her eyes narrowing as her clawed hands tensed and the muscles in her shoulders bunched, "Did you _feel_ the lead female's reiatsu?! _I_ felt it all the way over at the edge of _your_ territory!! I could _see_ it!"

"And I'm sure you also saw and felt how quickly it died." Gillo waved her off, unfazed, "Large as it was, she burned herself out too quickly. They're nothing to worry about; Daramos is making this out to be a _much_ bigger thing than it actually is."

"…Are you blind, or have you forgotten how serious that injury on his back was?!" Vaida shrieked.

"It's hardly my business," Gillo said evenly, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, "Or their fault that Daramos overestimated his own abilities and let his guard down."

"…So what are you saying?" Vaida asked softly after a moment, her eyes flashing, "Are you saying you're okay with these… these… _filthy_ creatures walking around in your territory?"

"Now, Vaida…" Gillo started slowly, pushing himself onto his feet and letting the flagella-like tendrils that slipped out from under the skin on his back so smoothly flail and twitch through the air, showing his building agitation, "You're putting words in my mouth. Of course I care…" Standing straight, he glared after the Arrancar and bit down on his webbed pointer finger, his teeth elongating slightly and his eyes flashing and glowing an eerie red as blood filled his mouth, "I want nothing more than to rend those disgusting creatures limb from limb and suck the very marrow from their bones…"

Vaida shuddered slightly, glancing away as the softest lick of his annoyed reiatsu sliced her cheek open to the bone.

"However…" Gillo calmed down, glancing at her and heaving a heavy sigh, "Those ones, in particular, weren't worth it. If we had attacked them, we would have alerted the others. They would have had time to contact their allies in the Seireitei, build their defenses, and we would have lost the element of surprise." He sighed again, shaking his head, "You're so _young_, Vaida…"

She twitched but said nothing to that. After a moment, she asked, "So, if they weren't worth it, and they even had one of the former Espada with them, who _would_ you deem worth it?"

"…Coyote Stark or Tia Halibel, two former Vasto Lordes."

Vaida blinked up at him. She'd never heard _those_ names before.

As if reading her mind, Gillo shrugged, "You wouldn't know them; they were turned into Arrancar long before your time, towards the end of the heyday of the true Vasto Lordes."

"…Weren't _you_ alive around that time, Gillo?" Vaida perked, suddenly interested.

"Daramos and I both were." Gillo answered with a mirthless smile, "However, even back then, Daramos was still very young…" He sighed, mumbling, "That boy has so much room for growth it terrifies even an old monster like me…"

"Eh?" Vaida blinked, not having heard the last part over a small gust of wind.

"…Nothing." Gillo waved her off, "Never mind… And get out of my territory." He threw her a sour look, his flagella-like tendrils whipping through the air a bit faster, "Your mere presence annoys me."

Vaida jerked back, affronted, then flushed darkly and glared at him, sticking out her tongue, "Stupid old man!!" Before he could think about snapping at her, the young Vasto Lorde had already spun around and zipped off.

Gillo stared after her with a blank face, then sighed and flopped back onto the sand, letting his tendrils blend not just themselves, but him in with the dune, as well.

Honestly, young ones…

* * *

The moment Aporro stepped foot back within the walls of El Sanctuario, a red, synthetic feather-fletched dart zipped through the air and buried itself in her neck.

Vicenta and Grimmjow watched in mild shock as the woman's eyes widened, then turned dull and glassy before slipping closed as she fell.

Szayel appeared before Aporro in a flash of white and pink, wrapping his arm around her waist as she slumped against his chest with her chin hooked over his shoulder, bearing her full weight as her body went lax. Heaving a sigh, Szayel slipped a small, handheld gun into a discreet pocket in his hakama and bent to wrap his now free arm around Aporro's legs, hefting her up.

With his mate secured, the scientist turned to Vicenta and Grimmjow and pinned them with a flat, icy stare, "Follow me."

Vicenta winced and Grimmjow looked away and rubbed the back of his head in annoyance, both following the former Espada as he turned sharply on his heel and stormed down the hall.

Vicenta listened to the quick, light clicking of her father's heels on the floor as she walked with her head lowered, each short, sharp sound adding to her trepidation and making her heart beat faster, her palms sweating.

She was screwed, she was screwed, she was screwed. It played like a mantra in her head.

'I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm screwed…' She swallowed hard when her father walked into his and Aporro's room, gesturing for them to wait, 'I am sooooo screwed…'

When Szayel came back out, no longer carrying Aporro, he glanced at Grimmjow and nodded slightly, "You can leave. Don't expect Vicenta back until very, very late."

Instead of her mate defending her like she had hoped, Vicenta watched in horror as he simply nodded wordlessly before walking off.

The girl stared after him, shaking slightly, then reluctantly turned back to her father when he did nothing but stand behind her silently, commanding her attention with his presence alone.

When she met his eyes, Vicenta's stomach cooled and turned.

Szayel was looking down at her with a highly condescending air, his chin held up just ever so slightly above normal level and his eyes lidded heavily, his face a mask of indifference.

It was the same look he gave everyone he didn't care to acknowledge or know, but had to for whatever reason.

Still wordless, he turned and walked down the hall at a steady, even pace, clearly expecting Vicenta to follow.

And she did.

Not only was not following not an option, it hadn't even crossed her mind.

One way or another, she was getting reprimanded by him; she may as well get it done and over with so she could get back to her lab and analyze PAPA's black box.

Szayel walked into his main lab and sat down at the large chair in front of his even larger computer, spinning around and crossing his arms over his stomach primly.

Vicenta stood in front of him, forced to look up at his silhouette in the blue light glow of his computer screen, the flash of his lenses being the only feature of his face she could clearly distinguish. He was waiting; she had to clear her thoughts.

Szayel waited 'patiently', though his stare got flatter and flatter the longer she took.

After a bit, Vicenta inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, starting a carefully thought out explanation.

Szayel listened attentively, his eyes flicking down to the backpack she'd taken off and set down by her feet when she mentioned that her black box was in there before he looked back up at her. When she was done, he closed his own eyes for a moment, then opened them again.

"I understand."

Vicenta blinked, slightly shocked, then smiled and sighed in relief.

"However…"

Ah. There it was. She winced. The shoe was about to drop…

"Vicenta…" Szayel quirked a brow, "Just how hard would it have been to send a message to my handheld? Or even write one down on paper?"

…Now that she thought about it, it would have taken her all of two seconds to send a text message…

"But Daddy…" Vicenta sighed, looking away and clasping her hands behind her back, "PAPA needed me to recover his black box…"

"…I'll take the blame for your simplemindedness when it comes to one of your experiments…" Szayel muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing heavily. He then looked back up at her and glared, "But you know full well how your mother gets. Do you have _any_ idea how much time I'm going to have to spend calming her? She is already addicted to behavioral medications as it is, Vicenta; I don't want the same to happen with tranquilizers."

"I know…" Vicenta looked at her feet, sighing, "I'm sorry…"

"And to travel into uncharted Vasto Lorde territory!" Szayel went on, standing and pacing back and forth in front of her, "We've so far managed to avoid confrontation with them, but there is a _reason_ we don't head out that far! It is _dangerous_!"

"I know, I know…" Vicenta all but whimpered, her voice even smaller, "…I wasn't approached by anything stronger than a lesser Adjuchas. And even they didn't get that close…" She offered this, as if it made the situation any better.

When Szayel jerked to a halt, though, and stiffened, she guessed it didn't.

"…That just means that you _were_ spotted by whoever was in command of that territory." Szayel pressed his hand to his forehead and ran it through his hair, a deep scowl on his face, "Shit…"

Vicenta swallowed hard, shifting back and forth.

"…We're teetering on the edge of a very sharp knife, Vicenta." Szayel mumbled, rubbing his temples, "And while I admit that part of me does… _relish_ the thought of going to war once again…" And, indeed, he shuddered, a sick, twisted smile curling on his lips and a heated glaze taking over his eyes for a moment, as if he were deeply aroused. It faded quickly, though, and he stood straight, glancing at her, "That part is trumped by the part that is constantly reminding me that we no longer have the fighting power we used to. We _cannot_ afford mistakes."

Vicenta nodded, standing straight and pressing her arms flat against her sides as she bowed slightly, "I understand, Father. It won't happen again."

"See to it that it doesn't." Szayel nodded, taking his seat again and turning to the side, a thoughtful look crossing his face, "…Oh… and one more thing…"

Vicenta looked up at him, blinking. She did not like the look on his face…

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Expecting…?

"I'm telling you, it would be a litter of kittens!"

"And I'm telling you, it would be a litter of Hollows!"

Aporro freezes, flipping around and pressing against the wall beside the corner she was about to walk around. She sucks in a breath and gradually dampers her reiatsu, hoping Grimmjow and Vicenta won't notice…

…Which, considering how deep they are in their conversation, they won't.

"…Wait, why are we even talking in litters? What if it's only one child?"

"Because cat-types deliver in litters."

"Yeah, but Hollows deliver in singles."

"No, Hollows are subjective to their type-breed. And because cat is involved, I'm sayin' it'd be a litter."

"Fine, fine, it's a litter, but still… I say kittens."

"And I say Hollows!"

"C'mon, Grimmjow! Can't you be a little less fatalistic?! Can you not imagine how pissed Mom would be if there were a litter of Hollows running around the place?!"

"Yer Mom's gonna be pissed no matter what, Centa, when she finds out we're expecting a litter."

Aporro's blood freezes in her veins and the world swims.

Her Vicenta…?

Pregnant?

Aporro passes out.

Grimmjow and Vicenta look, watching with widened eyes as Aporro topples and collapses.

"…Fuck, I didn't think that her cat knockin' up that Hollow would upset her _that_ much…"


	6. Price of Action

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Grimmjow watched with a quirked brow as his mate slammed things around her lab angrily, screaming and taking her anger out on a few of the Fraccion her father had made for her. He then glanced over at the source of his mate's anger.

The former Fraccion of the long since deceased Quinta Espada Nnoitra Jiruga, Tesla, was watching the scene Vicenta was making dispassionately, either not caring or too used to this kind of angry outburst (considering who he had formerly served) to be shocked.

Tesla had been assigned as Vicenta's probation officer; he was, for the next four months, to follow her wherever she went and make sure she didn't slip up.

The former Fraccion, who had been out of sorts ever since he had seen his master cut down in battle, had been all too happy to have an assignment, even if it meant watching the former Octava's offspring.

…Of course, when he'd accepted the job, he'd never expected her to be…

"SON OF A FUCKING **BITCH**!!" Crash. Slap. BOOM.

"Aiiiieeeee!! Mistress Vicenta Acere!! It huuuuuuurts!!"

…So much like his master…

He watched as the young Arrancar paced back and forth angrily, her long, black hair whipping around her wildly and tangling midair, her eyes almost glowing and livid, her thin, chapped lips parted in a wide snarl as her teeth ground against each other in a way that certainly wasn't good for them.

Tesla sighed softly, inaudibly. 'It's Master Nnoitra all over again…'

Grimmjow, who had been watching Tesla for a moment, turned his attention back to Vicenta and sighed, "Centa…"

"WHAT?!" Vicenta screeched, whirling around on her mate. In a flash, she found herself pinned to the keyboard of her computer, Grimmjow boring down on her with a frown and an animalistic gleam in his eye.

"Calm the fuck down, first off." Grimmjow snarled.

Vicenta blinked, then closed her eyes and inhaled, held her breath, then exhaled. When she looked up at him again, she was much calmer. "What…?"

"I was just going to tell you…" Grimmjow sighed, glancing over to where she had been rampaging and nodded, "You were about to smash that black box thing."

Tesla watched with mildly visible shock as the Nnoitra-like girl in front of him was easily subdued, then turned into a fretting mess. He quirked a brow when Vicenta started sputtering in shock and weaseled her way out from underneath the former Sexta.

The former Fraccion's shock then turned to exasperation as the girl started to fuss and croon over a small device, all while picking it up and cradling it to her chest as she walked, as if on eggshells, over to her computer.

"Now…" Vicenta mumbled, slipping the small device into the waiting saddle next to her keyboard, smiling at it fondly as it started humming softly, "Let's take a look at what attacked my PAPA, shall we?"

Tesla blinked, perking up slightly. Though Szayel would eventually see the images, himself, the scientist had also wanted a full verbal report of what was about to be seen, Vicenta's reaction included.

The last thing they needed was the irrational, young Arrancar rushing out again in some hopes of 'avenging' her precious technology.

Feeling herself getting stared at, Vicenta turned around stealthily in her chair and peeked up over the top, narrowing her eyes at Tesla.

Tesla blinked, tipping his head slightly and looking utterly innocent.

Vicenta narrowed her eyes further and hissed, sinking back down and out of Tesla's immediate sight and turning back towards her computer.

Tesla stared at the back of her chair amusedly for a moment, then walked forward and stood beside Vicenta's chair, on the side opposite the one Grimmjow chose to occupy.

The two mates threw sideways looks at the blonde, then turned their attention back to the computer screen, which Vicenta hadn't once paused in her typing on.

Several menus with words in some language neither of the Arrancar watching recognized appeared on the screen, each growing right out of the previous as Vicenta narrowed down her search options and located the program she was interested in running.

Vicenta clicked on the program and the soft hum of the black box's saddle turned into a loud but smooth whirring.

"_Miss Vicenta, the black box's final data transmissions are now being downloaded, the visual flight recorder included. I take it this is the first function you would like displayed?_"

"If you would, Meryl." Vicenta nodded, sitting back as a black square formed on the computer screen.

After a pause, the square started to flash grey with static, and Meryl's voice mumbled, "_Th-There's… only… approximately forty se-se-seconds of unda-da-da-damaged daaaa-aaa-ata. Shall I plaaa-aaaay?_"

"Yes, Meryl, and quickly." Vicenta sat forward, a concerned look crossing her face, "While it's playing, I want you to make a frame-by-frame copy, then delete the original data. It seems to be causing a malfunction within your systems."

"_Vee-eeeeeeerrrrrrryy well, Mistress-s-s-s-ss._"

The static changed immediately to a clear, high-definition birds-eye view of the sands of Hueco Mundo.

The timer in the lower left-hand side of the screen counted off the seconds, deciseconds, centiseconds and even milliseconds, but for a while there was nothing.

"…Just what're we looking for?" Grimmjow mumbled, his cat-like eyes darting back and forth, searching for any form of movement.

"Unfortunately, if the damage to the unit's skeleton was that severe, what we're looking for won't make itself obvious until the last few seconds." Vicenta mumbled, leaning forward and lacing her fingers with a frown, "Of course, there's always the possibility that it didn't attack in PAPA's range of vision…"

Tesla listened to all of this silently, still watching the screen. When the video got down to the last twenty-two seconds, he spotted something, lifting his hand and speaking for the first time since he'd entered the room, "There."

Vicenta and Grimmjow looked, watching as, amongst the sea of white, a black spot appeared.

The computer in front of them whirred loudly as the spot got closer and grew in size, taking on a humanoid form.

Grimmjow frowned as the room actually started to get _hot_ as the computer heated up, "Centa, maybe we shoul—"

Vicenta leaned forward and started typing rapidly, scowling as her whole monitor began to turn grey and the image started to undulate.

"Wh-What the hell?!" Grimmjow stepped back.

"It's too much data." Vicenta growled, "PAPA was trying to perform an energy scan on top of every other function he had going at the time and the damage to the black box must have scrambled the information together…" She worked quickly and filtered what she could, the image clearing up.

And when it got down to the last two seconds…

"_Now deleting original._" Meryl informed, leaving a copy of the two-second-mark frame on the screen as she completely erased the faulty data.

Vicenta, Grimmjow and Tesla stared at the image.

Though it was grainy, distorted from the damage, and they weren't able to clearly see what the Hollow looked like, a primal fear welled up in all three of them and made their hands itch for their zanpakuto.

"Meryl…" Vicenta mumbled as the room cooled, standing slowly, "Send this to my father. Now."

"_Understood, Mistress Vicenta._"

Sighing, the young Arrancar sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, staring at her keyboard without really seeing it.

She was starting to see what her mother had meant when she had said, so many times over, "Now we're fucked".

* * *

As Vicenta walked out of her lab and back to her room, chewing on her thumbnail, she was hardly aware of Tesla's presence.

Grimmjow had had to go back to the Seireitei for some reason or another (Vicenta was planning on having a talk to him about spending too much time with that Kurosaki), leaving her to mull over what she had seen.

She had gone over the footage, frame by frame, countless times, and done her best to come up with a composite image of the Hollow (which had clearly been a Vasto Lorde), but it still hadn't given her a clear picture of him.

And though she had completed her initial objective of salvaging what was left of PAPA's brain, so many new questions had arisen that had been left unanswered…

Why had the Vasto Lorde attacked?

What had its power level been?

Would it strike again?

Would it attack El Sanctuario?

…Had she really been seen, like her father had said?

And if she had been seen, had they been followed back home…?

Vicenta sighed heavily, jadedly, and pinched the bridge of her nose, continuing on her path.

Damn, this was tiring…

"Miss Vicenta?"

She jumped and inhaled sharply, Tesla's presence having completely slipped her mind.

Tesla watched her calmly as she looked his way, opting to skip teasing her and instead suggesting, "Why not simply forget it for now? Thinking about it too much is only going to frustrate you and lead to you doing something irrational. A break for the evening will serve you well."

When the young Arrancar only stared at him, Tesla sighed internally and braced himself to be slapped, his body still responsive to Nnoitra's old abuse even so many years later.

So when Vicenta sighed and rubbed her temples, nodding in assent, saying Tesla was shocked would have been something of an understatement.

"You're right, you're right." She mumbled, "If I can't think of anything after two hours in my state, I won't be able to think of anything at all. I'll eat and go to bed… and start over again tomorrow."

Tesla blinked. It seemed his new ward, while prone to bursts of anger, was much more reasonable than his old master. And, while he did (in a more than slightly masochistic way) somewhat miss the harsh treatment, he did appreciate her compliant attitude.

Keeping his appreciation to himself, though, Tesla followed her silently as she walked to the cafeteria and had a quick meal, blinking when he saw that her entire plate consisted of nothing but human cuisine.

"I believe Hollow would revitalize you much more effectively…" Tesla pointed out, sitting across from her.

Vicenta looked up at him from her cucumber sandwich, taking a bite, chewing and swallowing, "You do know that I'm half human, right?"

"Ah…" He hadn't been planning on bringing it up, considering he didn't know if it was a taboo subject or not, but since she had asked… "I've heard… rumors about that, yes. I knew that Aporro had been a human when she had first started mating with Szayel Aporro, and that you were born before she was an Arrancar, but I…"

"Thought I was a test-tube baby? Nope." Vicenta shook her head, taking another bite and swallowing before going on, "My mom carried me full term."

"Ah…" Tesla blinked, shocked.

"Mmm-hm." The young Arrancar nodded, taking a drink of her juice before going on, "Anyway, what that has to do we me not eating Hollow is this; I can't really stomach it unless its under specific conditions."

"Conditions?" Tesla wondered if, like Nnoitra, she would smack him if he got too inquisitive.

"In one condition, I can do it if I've released my Resurreccion." Vicenta elaborated, holding up first one finger, then a second, "In another, I can do it if I'm down to my last sliver of strength and surviving thanks to my Arrancar side, alone. A third is if the insatiable urge hits me… And there are a few others, but they're pretty insignificant." Vicenta waved her hand before turning back to her sandwich.

"I see…" Tesla could only imagine what sort of situations she must have gone through in the past to discover these conditions…

Then again, her father was Szayel Aporro Grantz, so they probably hadn't been too harrowing. It was his understanding the scientist didn't even allowed his mate to release her Resurreccion for training; she'd only been free to do it once before he had expressly forbade her from doing it again, and no one but the former Octava, himself, had been allowed to bear witness to it.

The man could be very, very protective of what was his…

Tesla blinked and stood as Vicenta finished her meal and left the cafeteria, walking behind her and slightly to the right as she pulled one of the many handhelds he'd seen circulating amongst some of the Arrancar out of her pocket and started typing something.

Observing her and not really paying attention to his surroundings, Tesla followed her through several corridors and small rooms before she finally turned her handheld off and glanced at him, frowning.

"…Miss Vicenta?" Tesla blinked.

"I know my father ordered you to follow me and all…" Vicenta began, quirking a brow, "But I think this may be crossing the line."

Tesla blinked again, confused, "…Miss?"

Vicenta narrowed her eyes slightly, "Tesla, go somewhere else."

Now it was Tesla's turn to frown. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss Vicenta. Your father has asked that I, for the next four months, follow you as closely as possible and make sure you don't do anythi—"

"I know what my father asked, Tesla." Vicenta cut him off sharply, her eye twitching, "And I'm telling you this is taking it too far. Get out of my room."

Tesla blinked, derailed. "Your… room…?" He looked around, blinking.

They were in a spacious room with a four-poster but canopy-less bed, the columns of which simply ran straight up into the ceiling. There was a large, dark blue rug between the door and the bed, a desk over in the far left corner with bookshelves on both sides that were nearly bursting, and a door in the wall on the right that, presumably, led to the bathroom. He didn't look much more, but he did see shelves lining the walls…

It was a standard layout for the personal quarters of every person saying in El Sanctuario.

And he'd… followed her… here…

"Tesla." When the blonde's attention snapped back to her, Vicenta turned to face him fully and looked right into his eyes, speaking slowly and carefully as if she were talking to someone who wasn't all that bright (a habit she had picked up from her father). "I want to take a shower and go to bed now. Please, get out."

Tesla stared at her for a moment, gapping ever so slightly, then shut his mouth with an audible clack as his teeth met and flushed, turning sharply on his heel and hurrying out the door he had unknowingly passed through on his way in.

Vicenta stared after him with a quirked brow, then rolled her eyes and walked to her bathroom, her clothes dropping to the floor as she went.

"Honestly… men."

* * *

Grimmjow stumbled into his mate's room with a wince and a feral grin, relishing each and every smarting wound Ichigo had left on him.

_Fuck_, time had done wonders for that kid's technique…

When the panther Arrancar saw the from of his mate, naked, pale skin bare and body sprawled out on top of her comforter and sheets instead of under them, he felt himself get even more excited, though in a much different and far more heated way.

Grin widening and sore muscles drawing taught, Grimmjow slid over to the bed without a sound, feeling anticipation welling up almost painfully in his chest the closer he got (and looking not unlike a cat about to pounce a gopher hole while doing it).

When she moaned softly and rolled over, he automatically froze, his breathing stopping completely and his eyes narrowing to slits as his lean, muscled body trembled with anticipation.

…One look at her face and form, though, drained him of that completely.

The tips of her fingers, as always, were bruised, though they were now also accompanied by dozens of thin, red lines that probably went far deeper than they appeared to be. He could only guess how many gloves she must have gone through that day. Her arms and legs trembled with each exhale, and her feet were red and blistered from toe to heel, her body not used to being out of the lab for the kind of excursion she'd gone out on the previous morning.

…Her face was drawn with stress and pale, her jaw set tightly and deep bags starting to form under her eyes, which were flickering back and forth rapidly under her eyelids.

If he had to guess, he'd say she was having another nightmare… she always had those after one of her projects or another produced particularly gruesome results. And, considering what they'd seen on the computer in her lab earlier, he was already completely sure he knew what was stressing her so badly, even in her dreams.

Grimmjow let his eyes sweep her form a few times before he exhaled, long and loud, his entire body relaxing and the balls of his feet finally meeting the floor as he crossed the final stretch to the bed, padding now rather than stalking.

Leaning Pantera against the wall next to Gavilan Pintado, the former Sexta quickly stripped and slipped in with feline ease next to her, easily sliding the blankets out from under her and drawing them up.

When Vicenta immediately turned towards him and curled up against his chest, Grimmjow stared down at the top of his mate's head with a blank face before he finally glared down at her slightly, sighing and setting a hand on her back to draw her closer.

"You idiot…"

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Boobs, Boobs, Boobs…!!

"Thus, if you calculate first the surface area of half of a sphere, or four pi 'r' squared over two, and then add that to the volume of a sphere…"

Szayel's fingers fly across his faceless keyboard, making symbols only he can understand line up and fall down on the screen as several pairs of widened, wondrous eyes watch the process, enwrapped with what the scientist is saying.

"Or four thirds pi 'r' cubed over two, you would then add the resulting two variables together…"

Two equations combine into one, resulting in an entirely new formula that is slowly being processed and made for the specific purpose of answering one all-important question.

"And multiply that number by two, as such things usually do, and indeed preferably, come in pairs. Converting the number you get from that into pounds is something a smidge more complex, but just enough that I don't want to spend all day explaining the finer mathematics to you so I'll just do that part and we can skip straight into comparing our chosen subjects."

Surely, as each moment passes, the testosterone levels in the room rise higher and high as the males get more and more excited, and even more so when images of the 'subjects' appear on the screen.

"Assuming we're considering not just epidermal layers, but also muscles, lobules, fatty tissue, areola and nipple tissues, the densities of these will also have to be factored in, so I'll just do that and…"

Though he will do his best to act oblivious, Szayel can tell he is being revered as something of a god right now and is reveling in it. The saying that 'nerds make better lovers' isn't entirely false, after all; if they're good boys who study hard, they know their anatomy quite extensively.

"There you have it. In terms of volume and density and of our four chosen candidates, Tia Halibel has the largest breasts. After is Aporro, followed by Orihime Inoue, and ending with Vicenta Acere Grantz…"

Yes, Szayel isn't proud that he had had to include his own daughter; actually, he has been planning on making Grimmjow pay somehow. However, when the cat Arrancar had found out about this 'meeting of minds', he had been blackmailed into including her…

…Of course, now he simply wishes he had given this up from the get go and told Aporro himself.

"…What in the fuck is going on in here?!"

"I-I-Ichigo?! Are those my…?!"

"…"

"…I would haul ass if I were you."

The room clears quickly, save Szayel and Aporro, the former of whom has been slammed back onto his keyboard by the latter and is laughing sheepishly under her intense glare.

"…You get the couch." Aporro growls, forcing her spiritual pressure down on him and cutting off his air supply, "For a century."

…One hundred sexless years for ten minutes of computer-simulated boob comparisons…

…Szayel decides he _definitely_ should have told his mate.

However, Szayel does realize something as his mate presses down against him, his mind easily blocking out her screaming, ranting and scratching:

What fine, glorious examples of breasts they are.


	7. The Madness Never Ends

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

When Aporro finally started to wake up, she was groggy as hell, her eyelids heavy and her thoughts about as eloquent as the monosyllabic, drawn out grunts and groans that were issuing from the back of her throat, her lips glued together.

A dull sting in her neck made a picture of Szayel flash through her mind, and the image was immediately followed by one of her kicking Szayel's ass.

"You awake then, sis?"

Growling lowly in the back of her throat, Aporro peeled her eyes open and glared up at her mate's older brother, twitching when she saw how close he was.

Illforte grinned down at his 'sis' amusedly, tilting his head with she snarled up at him, "Aww, what's the matter, sis? Did bro shoot you up with sleepy juice again?"

Still not able to form a coherent thought, Aporro imagined kicking Szayel _and_ Illforte's asses when she recovered.

Sniggering, Illforte moved to the other side of the bed and flopped down next to her, yawning widely and crossing his arms behind his head. Feeling the venomous glare the female Arrancar was shooting at him, Illforte propped one leg up and crossed the other over it, occupying himself with watching his foot as he twisted his ankle around and around.

"Bro asked me to keep an eye on you while he was working; didn't want you to try and go postal when you couldn't even lift yourself up properly."

Aporro glared at him, then remembered why anyone would think she would 'go postal' and started to struggle against her own deadweight body.

She had to finish reprimanding Vicenta for the fuckin' stupid ass stunt she'd pulled.

She had to get over whatever the hell Szayel had shot her up with and _punish her daughter_.

Illforte rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow, watching as his brother's mate rocked back and forth with a deep scowl on her face. He quirked a brow when she managed to roll onto her side, then quirked the same brow even higher when she managed to roll right off of the bed.

Smirking amusedly, Illforte crawled over to the edge of the bed and peeked over, watching the stubborn female as she squirmed her way across the floor, managing to turn herself around and make her way to the door after twenty minutes of struggling.

"…Just what are you hopin' to accomplish in that state, sis?" The former Fraccion asked, propping his chin up on his hand and watching as Aporro wormed her way across the floor, "Hell, even your_ cat_ could take you like that; you really think you're gonna be able to even open the door?"

All he got in answer was her limp hand weakly flipping him off.

Illforte chuckled, standing slowly and swaggering over to his younger brother's mate just as she reached the door.

Before she could even start shimmying her way up the wall, Illforte slid his hand through her hair and grabbed her by the back of her neck, lifting her effortlessly and tossing her back onto her bed.

Aporro flopped back onto the bed with a grunt, her shoulders rolling back and her legs kicking up before she fell flat, her hair flopping across her face. "Forte…!!" She managed to grind out, long, pink locks falling across her crazed amber eyes as she glared at him.

"Sorry." Illforte chuckled, not sounding apologetic at all as he sauntered back over to the bed and flopped down directly on top of her.

Aporro grunted, her eyes fit to burst out of her head as she struggled against her step-brother's (technically brother-in-law but considering Aporro and Szayel weren't actually married…) intense weight. She sputtered when some of Illforte's long blonde hair found its way into her mouth, then paused to think before sucking the hair back in and clamping down on it with her teeth, jerking her head.

Illforte yelped and struggled as his hair was pulled, grabbing Aporro's shoulders and jerking back harshly to glare down at her.

Aporro smirked up at him, spitting out several long strands that had been torn from the roots.

The two siblings glared at one another with angry, dark grins, the blonde twitching and the pinkette triumphant.

In a flash, the tables had turned and Aporro was twitching while Illforte was triumphant, a fair chunk of long, pink strands dangling from the older Arrancar's fist.

The door opened in that moment and Szayel walked in, quirking a brow and looking between his mate and his brother as they both turned towards him with mixed incredulous, guilty and sheepish looks.

"…Just _what_ is going on in here?" Szayel drawled after a moment, crossing his arms and staring at them both flatly.

"…She started it!" Illforte burst after a moment, pointing down at Aporro with the hand that was still holding her ripped-out hair.

Aporro, unable to counter or defend herself, just glared up at Illforte and stuck out the tip of her tongue at him, a blonde strand sticking to the wet muscle.

"…If I didn't know that it is impossible for Aporro to engage in a physically intimate relationship with another being…" Szayel purred, smirking as he strode into the room, "I'd almost have to say that something rather… _salacious_ was just taking place in here."

"…Wha…?" Illforte frowned, confused, and looked back down at Aporro, twitching when he realized that he was pinning a mostly paralyzed female to her own bed with the full length of his body, the sheets around them twisted from their fighting. "Oh, ewww!"

Szayel watched amusedly as his brother shot off of the bed, squealing like a scandalized schoolgirl and brushing his uniform off as if he'd caught the dreaded 'cooties'.

"Bro, watch your own fuckin' mate from now on." Illforte grumbled haughtily, waving Aporro's hair off of his hand so he could shove his fists into his pockets and stomp towards the door, "Bitch's a fuckin' harpy."

Szayel stared after his brother with a contemptuously amused look and a quirked brow, then turned to his mate and smirked, walking over to their bed.

"Now, _pet_…" Szayel purred, reaching out a plucking the strands of his brother's hair from her mouth, his smirk sharpening slightly when she opened her mouth to let him, "What have I told you about putting things in your mouth when they don't belong?"

Aporro narrowed her eyes and pulled her lips back from her teeth, snapping when his fingers got close.

Szayel chuckled, grabbing her jaw firmly and dragging his cloth-gloved thumb across her lower lip.

The simple action seemed to undo the woman, because she closed her eyes and shuddered, her body relaxing.

Szayel's smirk warmed and his gaze turned molten. His eyes slowly raked her body as he slid one hip up onto the bed and leaned over her prone form, hair forming a light pink curtain around their faces as he drew closer.

"Vicenta…?" Aporro breathed against his lips, making Szayel blink and snap out of his haze.

"Taken care of." Szayel assured, the tip of one long finger tracing circles from the mask bone on her jaw down to her collarbone, "I've assigned her a proper guardian; one extremely detail oriented who will be sure to not let her out of his sight and report any odd happenings to me."

Aporro nodded slowly, watching lazily as he started unbuttoning her double-breasted white jacket. She still couldn't talk much or move at all, but she did manage, "Black box…?"

"We both analyzed it." Szayel answered, peeling her jacket aside slowly, "Thoroughly. I'll tell you about the results later, when you've completely recovered from the sedative."

Remembering just why she couldn't move to begin with, Aporro was about to snap at him when he placed his parted lips against her collarbone, teeth grazing gently and tongue dragging across her skin.

Aporro's eyes widened and she arched slightly, twisting as best she could and trying to get away from his skilled tongue.

Her mate, though, pressed his palms against her shoulders and forced her to lay flat on her back, his mouth moving across her until, breasts aside, not a single inch of the skin on her chest remained untouched.

"I believe, pet…" He murmured, pulling back and smirking down at her flushed face, "That there was a time when you would have loved nothing more than to have me in the position you are in now…"

"Just… a time…?" Aporro murmured, smirking.

"…Hah." Szayel's lips curled into a wicked smirk and he dragged his hand back up over her chest, threading his fingers through her long hair and watching as the strands slid off of his fingers.

Relaxing, Aporro laid back and closed her eyes, the methodic combing and dragging having a slightly hypnotic effect and making her drowsy.

Szayel watched as his mate went limp, smirking down at her and letting his eyes raze her form.

Being almost obsessive compulsive about memorizing every inch of every form, humanoid and non, that he had ever had to work on, Szayel knew exactly where to touch, caress and press lightly, firmly or even harshly to soothe her or get her worked up into a sexual frenzy.

Of course, more often than not the woman could do that on her own and Szayel wound up finding himself completely dominated after a long, harrowing day at work.

Today, however, was different…

Today, Szayel had drugged his mate until she couldn't form a complete sentence. She couldn't move, and thanks to one of the side effects of the drug he'd administered (enhanced thanks to a few minor tweaks to the chemical formula) she was more sensitive than ever.

And while it seemed like she was ready to sleep… Szayel was nowhere near tired.

Smirking down at his oblivious mate darkly, Szayel tapered off on combing through her hair and leaned in again, pressing his mouth to the juncture of her jaw and neck and sucking some of the skin in between his lips.

"Nnn…!" Aporro groaned in protest, weakly trying to writhe away from him, only to flinch and fall still when his hands grabbed her breasts and squeezed until it was almost painful.

"Not tonight, pet…" Szayel purred, pulling back and smirking down at her and the dark flush that stained her cheeks. "You're mine…"

Aporro had found the first two instances of being called 'pet' slightly arousing, but now it was just annoying. She narrowed her eyes and worked on building up the energy to snap at Szayel, only to have her efforts go to waste when she felt one long, firm stroke between her legs. Unable to open her mouth, Aporro tipped her head back and groaned loudly in the back of her throat, clamping her thighs together around Szayel's hand.

Szayel grinned down at her, the lenses of his mask flashing as he worked his fingers in slow, firm circles.

"Nnngh…!!" Aporro groaned and squirmed, her legs rolling over one another and her already strained breathing getting erratic.

"Peeee-eeeeet…" Szayel drawled, nuzzling her hair aside and wrapping his tongue around her ear, "Beg…"

Aporro's eyes flashed open and she glared at him, growling and managing to hiss out, "I will… fucking _end_ you…" When her mate just chuckled, she took advantage of his close proximity and bit his neck. Hard.

Hissing when he felt his barely passable hierro threatening to slip, Szayel worked his fingers faster and bit her back, a shudder running down his spine at the ensuing groan.

Oh, the _noises_ his mate made…

…Actually, now that his mind was on the subject, it struck him that his schedule was finally starting to clear up enough that he could get around to all of those _marvelous_ experiments that he had planned out when Aporro had been human, much younger and _much_ friskier, but hadn't ever had a chance to get around to before she'd had to become an Arrancar…

And, fortunately for him, his mate was still human-like enough in her mannerisms and devotion to him (not to mention her physicality) that he doubted the change in species would do much to invalidate his previous hypotheses…

And it _certainly_ didn't hurt that his mate was mostly paralyzed and so receptive…

Szayel smirked.

Oh, the _joys_ of being a scientist…

* * *

Szayel stared at the ceiling in a semi-listless state, slowly dragging the nail of his now no longer gloved left index finger up and down his mate's spine.

While he would have much preferred to be mulling over the findings of several of his admittedly (and enjoyably) lewd experiments, he instead found the problem with his daughter's earlier expedition rolling around in his mind.

Vasto Lorde…

Bluntly stated, Aizen had been a powerhouse that not even the collective body of the Espada would have ever hoped to defeat; while they each had their own motivations for joining the crazed shinigami, this fact remained part of the base.

Though few Hollows outside of the Las Noches territory would be able to identify him off of the tops of their heads, the shinigamification of Coyote Stark, Barragan Luisenbarn and Tia Halibel had left Aizen's name imprinted in the minds of most of the more knowledgeable Hollows, and certainly in a majority of the Vasto Lordes.

So why, two hundred or so years after the man's defeat, had there been so few sightings of the high-class Hollows?

True, their numbers were limited, but surely at least _one_ would have approached them will ill-intent by now…

And yet, no assaults.

Scattered sightings and a few close encounters, but not so much as a discharged cero or a controlled attack by Adjuchas and Gillians ordered from the sidelines.

While Szayel would admit that he missed the war (that ghastly and utterly arousing chill that stirred his loins when he faced an enemy worth facing was a high he could _never_ hope to replicate in his lab or on a sparring mat), he would also have to say that he was relieved that they hadn't been attacked…

…But he was also jaded of the absence of threat.

At this point, it was almost like an active volcano that had been resting for too long or a time bomb that should have detonated already but seemed to be taking its time…

He _knew_ they were going to be attacked; he _expected_ it. He had been expecting it ever since the first day he had walked into The Sanctuary with the full intent of using it as his permanent base, his pregnant human mate in his arms and her birthing blood running down his side.

The question was, what was going to be the trigger, and when…?

Against him, Aporro squirmed weakly and whimpered in protest, making Szayel's amber eyes flash down to her and his hand draw back.

A single drop of dark red, almost black stained the former Octava's finger and an angry red line traced downward on Aporro's spine.

Frowning, Szayel licked his thumb and smoothed out the line, signing softly when he saw it was already healing. Even as the scratch disappeared, Szayel turned his attention back to the blood on his finger and held the hand over his head, tipping it back and forth and letting gravity move the drop around.

When a still sleeping Aporro shifted against him, whining at his subtle movements, Szayel sighted and set the bloodied finger against his mouth, tracing and staining his lips.

Regardless of the 'what' and 'when', it would happen, and more than likely sooner than they would like.

They would have to prepare…

Szayel smirked, his tongue slipping out of his mouth to lick his lips clean before wrapping around his finger and slowly, sensually sucking the blood into his mouth.

He could hardly wait for the slew of corpses this new fight would create.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Holding Out…

It wasn't a fun game, Aporro was coming to realize.

While she was the one who had initiated this punishment (admittedly in a fit of blind rage), it was starting to occur to her that this was as painful for her as it was for him, and _he_ was the one who had royally fucked up!

She has to find a way to fix this…

Cheating clearly wasn't an option: Not only would she never seriously consider it, she wouldn't be able to go through with it.

Self-pleasure was nothing compared to the real thing.

And flat out abstaining…

Wasn't working.

"Now Aporro…" Szayel purrs, his flattened palms gliding across her stomach, "One hundred years? You aren't even three hundred yet, and you haven't even been an Arrancar for twenty." One hand strays up towards her breasts while the other smoothes south, his hips rolling against her posterior, "You can't abstain."

Damn that man and his naturally salacious disposition…

And damn his skill with his tongue; that long, slick muscle sliding and curving over and around the shell of her ear, flicking, tracing, leaving a wet trail that quickly turns a delicious cold and sends a jolt to her breasts, making her nipples harden…

…Screw it.

Two can play the underhanded game.

After all, if there had been one thing she had spent a majority of her time doing after she'd first realized (as a human) that she had been extremely attracted to Szayel, it was cooling down sexual thoughts.

Cold showers…

Hamsters…

Infomercials with hairy-knuckled hand models…

Prune juice…

Aporro turns back to Szayel, plants her hand on his ass and thrusts her hips against his, gyrating slowly and leaning in close to whisper slowly, sensually into his ear…

"Old Man Yama in a g-string."

Flaccid in record time.

"…Oh, dear god…"

Oh, yeah, two can definitely play this game.


	8. Methods of Fostering

^.^ Before I start the chapter, I'd like to thank Bladre MKT, Divine Wind Storm, X-Whitemagic58-X, Sakura Otome, Inuyoshie and HanakoAnimeaddict for their continued support. *strikes a pose* I will try not to fail you all~!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Vaida chewed on her white bone fingernail claw, watching the flat stretch of sand that stretched over the underground complex that the Arrancar lived in. She didn't want to get too close in case she was seen, but she had excellent eyesight.

The young Vasto Lorde had perched herself on top of a sand dune some three miles away, but saw every detail of where the compound was hidden as if she weren't thirty feet away.

Pausing in her nail/claw biting, Vaida scratched the bone gauntlets that ran along the backs of her arms up to her elbows out of nervous habit, the bone against bone making a slightly annoying yet oddly comforting sound.

At each rasp that grated on her nerves, though, the wings on her back twitched. Like a bat's wing, hers had individual digits, and even hooked little thumbs. The patagium, though, the thin skin membrane that was supposed to exist between the digits and allow flight, was missing, leaving the bony fingers of the wings to clack together like wooden wind chimes.

The young Vasto Lorde wasn't sure what exactly she was waiting for, but she felt like she _had_ to do something…

Something other than flit around Gillo's territory, that was.

Vaida pouted, "Stupid, stubborn old jerk…"

Much as she didn't want to admit it (and wouldn't, not even to herself) what Gillo had said about her annoying him with her presence had… hurt…

Vaida was, by the standards of Hollows, young. She was also extremely weak for her level; she didn't have any followers, let alone her own territory. Because of this, most of her time in her earliest days as a Vasto Lorde had been spent darting from one Vasto Lorde's territory to the next, picking off food where she could find it and fleeing before she was caught and had the tar kicked out of her.

…It had been in the territory of another Vasto Lorde named Marccia Bones that she'd screwed up.

Marccia had let her get away alive, but not before screwing her body over royally and leaving Vaida grievously injured…

Vaida had then stumbled into the territory next to Marccia's; Gillo's territory.

And Gillo… he'd… he'd saved her…

…After that, Vaida had stuck to living in his territory. And Gillo, apparently, had never really minded.

…She guessed that was why it had made her chest sting so much when he'd said what he had.

She'd had to get out of his territory and find something else to do, and now she was here…

Vaida stopped scratching at her bone gauntlets (like Gillo always snapped at her to do whenever she'd been around him and had slipped into the tic) and rubbed her bare feet over one another, chewing at her lip.

She wasn't getting any reiatsu readings, but she was almost one hundred percent positive that the area three miles in front of her was where the Broken One's hideout was; she could feel traces of their reiryoku in the sand and if she smelled long and deep she could even scent out old traces of their mutant blood…

And since all of the other Vasto Lordes were working together, if she could prove her use to them then maybe, maybe Gillo would see how valuable she really was.

If she could get _Daramos_ to praise her, then…

Vaida grinned, rubbing her hands together and cackling to herself, "That'll show that rude old bastard…!!"

Silence.

Settling down and stilling, Vaida shuddered slightly when a passing whirl of wind made goose bumps raise on her legs and back, a fine pelting of sand making her skin feel itchy.

The young Vasto Lorde hugged herself and glared at the spot far in front of her stubbornly.

She would not move… she would _not_ move until she saw something worth reporting.

Then she'd rub it in Gillo's face.

Against her cheek, the small but deep cut his fluctuating reiatsu had made stung smartly.

* * *

"Tesla…" Vicenta growled, glaring at her 'parole officer' and clenching her hands at her sides so tightly she nearly broke her handheld, "Get. The fuck. Out of my way."

The former Fraccion sighed heavily but stayed in place, blatantly but silently refusing to acquiesce.

Vicenta's left eye twitched, her hand moving to finger Gavilan Pintado only to twitch and freeze when she remembered her father had confiscated it from her for a week as part of his punishment.

Tesla quirked a brow just as she made the revelation, his own palm stroking the hilt of Verruga. The former Fraccion sighed when, beside Vicenta, Grimmjow chuckled.

"Tesla, please." Vicenta sighed, looking up at him pleadingly, "Without PAPA to act as a router, I have to access each and every one of the camera pods separately in order to reconfigure their flight patterns, and I can't even do that from Meryl. I have to do it from my handheld, which means I _need_ to get outside."

Quite frankly, Tesla found himself not caring too terribly much. The thought of the former Octava being pissed at him was _far_ more terrifying than this girl's whining was endearing, and the thought of punishment aside, Tesla had never failed a mission.

He wasn't about to start _purposely_ failing so Vicenta could check up on some mumbo jumbo technological experiment of hers that he could hardly comprehend the purpose of, much less the internal workings.

Besides, from what he'd seen of the girl's more notorious projects, she was hardy in control of the simpler aspects, and for something as large scale as she was suggesting…

Hell no. Tesla didn't trust her experiments any more than he did her father's.

And from what he'd seen on the screen, her experiment had gone and ticked off some very powerful beings… He wasn't about to let her go topside.

However…

"Pwease, Teswa?" Vicenta whimpered, clasping her hands in front of her face and looking up at him with wide, amber eyes, "Pwetty pwetty pwease wif a Giwwian on top and shinigami in da middle? I pwomise it won't take more than two seconds and I won't go out furder than five feet. And you and Gwimmy will be wif me da whole time! I couldn't be safer!"

Tesla took half a shocked step back and held his hands up as if to shield himself from the cute, his eyes wide and his expression showing he was at a complete and utter loss.

Clearly, he hadn't expected her to resort to such underhanded, human-like tactics…

He didn't know Vicenta very well, Grimmjow thought with a smirk. Which Vicenta may _act_ like a 'lady' and a prude a majority of the time, when it came to her work she wasn't 'above' anything. If she absolutely had to, she'd probably kill for her work.

And compared to that, putting on this little show and pleading was _nothing_.

"…F-Fine." Tesla muttered, looking away as a dark flush painted his cheekbones, "But you only have _two seconds_."

Grimmjow's smirk widened as Vicenta squealed and threw herself at Tesla, hugging the prudish former Fraccion. She'd gotten him to cave.

Following as Vicenta took Tesla's hands and pulled him up the stairs and out the protective, multilayered doors that blocked El Sanctuario from the rest of the world outside, Grimmjow watched as his mate continued to weave her deceptive magic and lured the usually adamant blonde Arrancar into breaking and going against the carefully planned out and thoroughly worded rules that Szayel had laid out.

Fuck, she was such a conniving bitch… She'd gotten her drive from her mother, but her subtlety from her father.

Clearly, Szayel and Aporro were a match made in Hell.

And fuckin' a, was the magic that resulted from that match hot.

Vicenta smirked at Grimmjow and Tesla as they set foot on the sand, making Grimmjow give her a feral grin and Tesla flush lightly.

Tesla crossed his arms tightly over his chest as the young female Arrancar turned away from them, grumbling to Grimmjow, "I've been had by your mate, haven't I?"

Grimmjow smirked sharply, crossing his arms over his toned chest and snickering, "She's quite the manipulative brat…"

Tesla sighed, lowering his head and pinching the bridge of his nose, then stiffened, looking up as a gust of wind passed and scenting the air.

The former Sexta quirked a brow at him, then tensed when he caught wind of what Tesla apparently had, as well.

Vicenta followed and jerked more visibly, her head snapping up and towards where Tesla and Grimmjow's eyes had focused.

"Grimmjow… is that…" Vicenta muttered.

"Yeah." Grimmjow growled, his lip curling up into a sneer as he stormed forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her back towards the entrance of The Sanctuary, "Vasto Lorde…"

* * *

If they were hoping a quick exit would save their asses, they were dead wrong.

Vaida leaned forward on one knee, bending her other leg and bracing all of her weight on the front of her foot. She wiggled her fingers and stretched her hands out in front of her, her hands burrowing into the sand.

Glowing golden eyes narrowed until the slit pupils were almost nonexistent, and Vaida watched as the three Arrancar fled back inside of their little rat hole.

This was it, this was it, this was it!!

She had a _completely_ confirmed location of the Broken One's front door, and she _knew_ which bitch was controlling the giant black balls!

This information was _sure_ to get Daramos to praise her, and then Gillo would _have_ to acknowledge that she was more than just a burden!

Ha!

This was going to be _fantastic_!!

Now… if she could only—

"Vaida, what the fuck are you doing?"

The young Vasto Lorde tensed, then slowly looked over her shoulder and up at Gillo, unconsciously swallowing hard.

Gillo stood over her in all of his hulking tall yet lithe glory, grey skin darker than usual at the angle she was looking up at him in and a thick cloth draped heavily around his waist with quite a bit of extra material dragging on the ground.

Vaida swallowed again when she saw the flagella-like growths on his back were whipping irately and that his teeth had extended well past his lower and upper lips, the skin on his face tight and giving him a terrifying visage.

Still, she had to remind herself that it wasn't his business what she was doing. Not at all…

"Watching the wretches." Vaida grumbled, turning back and facing where she'd seen the Arrancar again, "Why?"

"It's dangerous out here." Gillo growled, his footsteps beneath the thick cloth around his waist heavy as he moved closer, "If they see you, you'll be killed. Get your scrawny ass where it's safe."

"What do you care?!" Vaida bit out, glaring in front of her bitterly, "You're the one who told me to leave!"

Behind her, she heard Gillo's heavy footsteps freeze before he sighed heavily and groaned.

"Son of a bitch, Vaida, is _that_ what this is about? Quit being so damned childish and get back to my territory now; this stupid stakeout isn't safe."

"No!" Vaida stood and spun on her heel, stomping her bare feet and glaring up at him, "What I do is _none_ of your business! Daramos wants us to keep an eye on the Broken Ones and I'm _bordering_ finding out some very useful information. Since you're so much more powerful than I am, why don't _you_ leave?! You being here is way more likely to get me caught than me just sitting here and watching!"

Gillo stared down at her, one eyelid twitching slightly and a deep scowl settling on his face.

When the young slip of a Vasto Lorde huffed and turned away, crouching back down and thinking that she had won, he narrowed his eyes and glared down at her.

Fuck. No.

He was too old to deal with this bullshit.

Gillo had _not_ saved this scrawny whelp's ass from the vicious and borderline crippling damage done to her by that bloodthirsty witch Marccia Bones just for her to get herself caught by _Arrancar_ and probably end up getting her ass tied down and poked and prodded at by that pink-headed fucker…

Szayel Aporro Grantz, if he was thinking of the right bastard…

Fuck no was Gillo about to let Vaida's stupidity get her strapped down to _that_ man's dissection table.

Vaida was just starting to relax again, thinking that Gillo was getting ready to leave, when an arm grabbed her by the strip of her mask that went across her back (connected to the part that went over her chest, like a brassier) and hefted her up.

The young Vasto Lorde squeaked and flailed as Gillo threw her over his shoulder, banging her bone-gauntlet fists against his back and beating her bony wings against his head.

"Gillo?! Gillo!! PUT ME DOWN NOW!!"

"Don't think so." The considerably older Vasto Lorde mumbled, jostling his shoulder and manhandling her a bit, "You're being irrational and this plan is doomed to fail. Entertaining as it would be, I can't, in all good conscience, let you make a reason for Daramos to kill you." He flashed back to his territory and threw Vaida down on the ground, watching dispassionately as she flailed around in the sand on her stomach.

Just as Vaida was about to push herself back to her hands and knees, there was a loud grunt beside her and she was pressed harshly back down onto her stomach, Gillo's heavy feet settling on her back and using her like a footstool while holding her in place.

"Gillo, let me up this instant!" Vaida yowled, flailing and trying to free her poor, delicate wings, which were pressed so uncomfortably against her shoulders.

Gillo, though, ignored her and laid his arms out by his side, throwing his head back and closing his eyes. The older Vasto Lorde's elongated and sharpened teeth slid back into their resting places, and the twitching and whipping whisker-like appendages growing out of his back settled and calmed, one flopping across the back of Vaida's neck.

She shuddered as it did, falling still as she felt Gillo's reiryoku stir in the tendril and work to blend her into the sand like it was him, shielding both of them from immediate view and reiatsu sensing techniques.

Though the scratch on her cheek still stung, the burn in her chest that had come after his rejection dulled considerably and she managed to relax, crossing her arms in front of her head and burying her face in them.

Fine.

The old man could win for now…

But as soon as he had his back turned, she was heading back to her post.

After all, she'd hardly proved anything to him just yet.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Resurreccion…?!

Ichigo watches with widened eyes as Pantera meets Gavilan Pintado, claws grating down the thin blade in a shower of hot white sparks, a sharp-edged, aquiline body bending back over itself with a whipping fan of blue mane at the same time as a lithe, smooth body clad in white, black hair spinning and forming a halo.

Paws meet a white mat at one end and booted feet at the other, only for the two bodies to throw themselves at one another again, clashing, twirling and weaving in an endless dance.

While the young shinigami will admit that his kind do have a certain rhythm, a technical grace to the way they fight, it can't be compared to the animalistic fluidity the Arrancar fight with.

…Of course, he'll never tell _Grimmjow_ that, the haughty bastard.

Ichigo is just about to start cheering for Vicenta (just to piss Grimmjow off) when a presence flaring a rather large and irate reiatsu settles down beside him. He looks, tensing slightly when he sees the Arrancar Aporro sitting next to him, her spine erect, her arms and legs crossed tightly, and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Just as Ichigo goes to scoot away, the woman growls without even looking at him, making the now rather nervous shinigami settle back down.

"…So…" Ichigo begins slowly after a moment, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly when the woman's narrowed eye slides over to him, "I hear you're… holding out on the Octava?" He forces a grin, "Nice."

The woman's skin tightens against the remains of her mask lining her jaw and she looks back at the practice, not answering.

Ichigo turns back to the practice, as well, then freezes, his eye twitching.

On the other side of the arena is said Octava, only he's completely released his Resurreccion and he's glaring at his mate angrily, his face flushed and his back hunched as he pants.

Beside the young shinigami, the female Arrancar starts panting, as well.

"Yo, Kurosaki, we're gonna want ta get out of here now."

Ichigo jumps and glances over, blinking when he sees the two young, still released Arrancar watching the two older Arrancar anxiously.

"…Why?"

"Easy." Grimmjow growls, reaching out and grabbing the shinigami's wrist with his still-clawed hand, "This room is about to get steamy."

As the three flee, Aporro and Szayel launch themselves at one another, colliding above the training mats and rolling around, tearing at one another's clothes.

Taking advantage of his Resurreccion strength, Szayel pins Aporro to the mats and tears the front of her shirt off, biting at her collarbone.

Aporro's hand flies to the hilt of her zanpakuto and she draws it partway, growling, "Tear the—" The second Szayel's mouth crashes onto hers, cutting her off, she rolls them over and pins him on his back, hissing down at him and hiking his dress up over his slender, shapely legs, "Fine. But I'm on top."

"…Fine. But you gave in first."

…Szayel would return to his couch with more than just a bruise to his ego that evening.


	9. Fear the Grantz Family Libido

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"You WHAT?!"

Grimmjow looked away, rubbing the back of his head.

Vicenta sighed, standing perfectly straight and closing her eyes for the onslaught.

Tesla, the only one of the three showing any sort of real remorse, lowered his head guiltily, prepared to take the verbal lashing all three of them were about to receive by himself, if need be.

After all, he _had_ failed his directive…

Szayel sat back in his chair in front of his largest computer, the chair in question turned around so the scientist could prop his elbow up on the armrest and lean his head at the temple against his palm.

And, in the middle of them all, paced Aporro, her hair whipping out behind her as she turned sharply back and forth every ten steps.

Her face was already red, her eye was already twitching, a vein was already bulging on her forehead…

Szayel sighed, calculating he had about two minutes left before he had to shoot her with the first dart.

"Tesla, I thought you were suppose to _stop_ this kind of bullshit from _happening_ in the _first place_!" Aporro hissed, turning on the former Fraccion first and storming over to him.

Tesla tipped his head up and stumbled back, looking down his nose at the woman as she got up close and personal in order to bark in his face.

Briefly, he wondered if he should protect his neck to prevent her from going straight for his jugular vein, like a rabid dog…

"—and fur— …Tesla, **are you even listening**?!"

"N-No, Ma'am." Tesla found himself muttering involuntarily. He immediately regretted his unwitting admission, because as soon as he'd said it he found himself flying across the room.

Grimmjow and Vicenta turned to watch him, abruptly snapping their attention back to Aporro when they heard a soft thump come from her direction.

Aporro was down on her knees, her mouth hanging open slightly and her eyes glazed.

Szayel stood behind her with a sigh, flipping his hair over his shoulder with one hand before 'adjusting' his glasses (more a tic then an actual attempt to move his mask) and crossing his arms over his stomach, staring at the trio of 'rebels' flatly.

"Tesla…" He began slowly, staring the former Fraccion down as he pushed himself to his feet, "I know my daughter can be rather… manipulative…"

Tesla nodded, standing up and rubbing his sore jaw as he walked back into place by Vicenta, who lowered her head sheepishly.

"However," Szayel went on pointedly, narrowing his eyes, "That doesn't excuse any of you…" He glanced at Grimmjow sharply, narrowing his eyes further, "Especially not _you_, Jaegerjaquez."

Grimmjow quirked a brow at the scientist, sneering and snarling, "Grantz, who the fuck gave you authority over me?"

Szayel's face smoothed in his irritation and he purred darkly, "We're in a borderline anarchist state as it is, Grimmjow. The least you can do is try not to encourage it." When the former Sexta twitched and scoffed, looking away, Szayel turned to his daughter and stared at her flatly, making her shift, "As for you… clearly you still don't understand the gravity of the situation you're bordering on provoking." He crossed his arms, glaring at her thoughtfully and mumbling, "We'll have to do something a bit more proactive…"

"'lread got a plan…" The four watched as a heavily drugged Aporro stumbled to her feet, shaking her head before glancing at Szayel, "Le's send her to the Seireitei for a bit…"

Szayel quirked a brow, "Interesting solution…"

Vicenta just gapped and looked between her parents, horrified.

"I was thinkin' she could go to Ukitake's squad…" Aporro went on, swaying slightly, "He's one'a the few captains there I trust, and he always seems to need help with those two third sheats of his competing and screwin' things up…"

"This solution keeps getting better." Szayel nodded, crossing his arms and regarding his mate's suggestion seriously.

Vicenta only got more horrified as her father got a thoughtful look on his face, clearly smoothing out the details in his own head, as if the plan were already set in stone. When she looked to Tesla and Grimmjow for help, she found the blonde nodding in approval and her mate…

Her mate…

Grimmjow had his head lowered, his arms crossed tightly across his chest and his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

He found this funny!

The son of a bitch was laughing at all of this!

When Grimmjow looked at her face and only grinned widely, letting out a loud, barking laugh, Vicenta's chest puffed out angrily and her cheeks flushed, her eyes narrowing.

So, that was how he was going to take this, huh?

Well…

"Mom, Dad, I think that's a _great_ idea."

All attention in the room turned to Vicenta.

The young Arrancar nodded seriously to her parents, smiling, "This whole situation with my projects and all has been rather straining. Maybe what I need is to mull things over in a quiet environment away from my labs…" She then looked over Grimmjow's shoulder and nodded to Tesla, her smile widening slightly, "_Alone_."

Tesla blinked, then realized the comment hadn't actually been directed at him, but rather at Grimmjow, who had tensed as soon as she had said it.

Vicenta, the former Fraccion realized, hadn't meant 'alone' ironically, as in a way for it to be taken that Grimmjow was to follow her when her parents weren't paying attention. She had meant it literally and in a mean-spirited manner, as in a way for it to be taken that she wanted to get away from Grimmjow, more than likely to punish him.

When Tesla glanced at Szayel to see what the scientist had to say he saw that the former Octava, too, had noticed his daughter's intent and was grinning sharply, his amber eyes shining behind his glasses as the lenses glinted brilliantly in the dim lighting of the lab.

Aporro wasn't much better, her lips parted and twisted in a sinister, dark smile, her teeth flashing brilliantly.

Tesla suddenly felt nervous as it hit him that he was trapped in a large, dark room with three bloodthirsty members of the Grantz family, and he had no idea where the door was.

…Tesla felt lightheaded…

"Well, Vicenta, if you find the idea so agreeable, then perhaps we will send you." Szayel said slowly, his tone highly amused as he rubbed his chin, "I'll just contact the Thirteenth Division Captain and make the arrangements…"

"Alright!" Vicenta said brightly, clasping her hands behind her back and perking up with a large smile, "I'll go and straighten things out in my lab so it'll run by itself for a few days!"

Szayel nodded, "You do that."

The girl giggled and nodded, turning and skipping out.

Tesla glanced after her, then glanced at Grimmjow, who was staring at her in indignant, open-mouthed shock.

Szayel walked up behind him and set his hand on the blue-haired Arrancar's shoulder, thin fingers curling slowly to clutch the clothed flesh even as Szayel smirked, "You've just received a healthy dose of Grantz-style revenge. Cheers."

* * *

Vicenta packed her bags quickly, the glee she'd practically been basking in on her way out of her father's lab, on her way to her lab, in her lab and then on her way to her room fading as she worked almost mechanically, folding several copies of her same uniform so neatly anyone would have guessed she was obsessive compulsive.

The painstaking precision didn't stop in just the folding, though, as she actually managed to fit ten full uniforms in a twelve by twelve inch white slip of a suitcase that was hardly thicker than the grip of Gavilan Pintado was wide.

As true as it was that the only reason she was agreeing to go to the Seireitei in the first place was to get back at Grimmjow for his pigheadedness, she could already tell she wasn't going to enjoy it.

Because of their bond, being around Grimmjow was almost like a primal need, and being away from him for extended periods of time could almost be like being tortured with sensory deprivation:

No sight, no sound, no color, no smell, no niggling presence in the back of her mind, that instinct that let her hone in on another's reiatsu purely by second nature…

She knew well what sensory deprivation was like.

Her father had used it to punish her once, though completely without her mother's consent, or even her knowledge. They both knew Aporro would _slaughter_ Szayel if she found out her mate had used torture tactics to punish Vicenta, and the father and daughter had reached a silent agreement to keep the incident between them.

It was the whole experience to begin with that let her know what the torture was like, and she knew how things were going to be for her for the next few days… weeks… however long she was going to spend with the shinigami.

'…Still… Grimmjow shouldn't have been an ass.'

Childish?

Yes.

But Vicenta was very young, she rationalized in her own defense, and she was still allowed to be immature.

And immaturity included punishing Grimmjow when he was being an ass.

…Well, really, he was almost always an ass, but this was more 'ass' than usual (or so she thought; her mind had simply amplified what was actually a rather amusing situation, if she would take the time to analyze it) and he was gonna pay, damn it.

Besides, it wasn't like she couldn't have done much, much worse…

She could have, as she had frequently heard others in the compound state it, 'pulled a Szayel', which more often than not included a small, soundproof room, shackles, and torture ranging from poison testing to one-sided bloodplay.

Then again, Szayel could be absolutely in-fucking-sane, even Vicenta would readily admit that, and while she sometimes shared in her father's sociopathic nature, she would never take it _that_ far…

Vicenta shook her head to clear it when she realized she'd been staring off into space for several minutes, closing her suitcase with a soft click.

Of course, she realized as she walked to her bedroom door, all of this would be moot if Captain Ukitake and/or Captain-Commander Yamamoto said she couldn't come, but she highly doubted that would happen.

Even if a majority of them didn't like it, the policy that was reigning in the Seireitei at the moment when it came to the inhabitants of El Sanctuario was for the shinigami to do everything they could to 'foster friendship', so chances were already in her favor.

And if her mother, the only Arrancar the Captain-Commander actually seemed comfortable negotiating with, her rude manner aside, was the one taking care of the talk, she stood at least at a seventy-five percent chance of ending up in the Thirteenth Division.

Good odds for even her and her father's high standards.

Just as Vicenta was nearing her door, it flew open to reveal a rather irate Grimmjow, whose shocking blue eyes narrowed at her the moment he saw her.

Vicenta stared at him in shock, momentarily derailed by the sudden violent assault on her door, then smoothed her features over and cocked a thin black eyebrow at her mate, her tone a smooth drawl, "May I help you, Grimmjow?"

"This is a fuckin' stupid ass way to sulk." Grimmjow growled, storming into her room and slamming the door shut with the same ferocity he'd used to throw it open in the first place.

Sighing in slight annoyance when her doorframe actually cracked from all of the rough treatment, Vicenta let a slightly scathing note enter her voice as she went on, "Dear, I'm hardly _sulking_, if you haven't noticed. Taking into account the last twenty seconds since you stormed back into the picture, I would actually consider myself quite composed, wouldn't you?"

Grimmjow twitched, then flashed forward and pinned her to her own bed, his lips smothering hers.

Her slick manner of speech, the way she was suddenly carrying herself, that goddamned fluid quirk of her eyebrow…

Vicenta was doing that thing she did when she started to emulate her father in order to get to him.

And it pissed him off.

She knew that, the uppity brat, and she knew that he knew that she knew that, which was why she was doing it. She wanted to get a rise out of him.

Well, fuck if that kind of action would be going unanswered.

Grimmjow slid one thick, well-muscled thigh between hers and grabbed her hips, rocking her body against him and making her ride his leg.

When she lay where she had been the moment he had pushed her down, prone and staring at the ceiling dispassionately, Grimmjow growled and grabbed her breasts, twisting harshly and biting her neck.

That Vicenta couldn't ignore, and when she hissed in pain but pressed up into his hands to get more, Grimmjow smirked. Fuckin' masochist…

As soon as she started reacting, Grimmjow promptly pulled away and stood, walking over to her bookshelf and skimming it like nothing had happened.

When he heard the springs of the bed creak as she stood, a wide, crooked smirk spread across his lips and he waited for the onslaught of rage, screaming, and inevitable passion that would come when the fighting got them both so horny they would practically tie their arms and legs in knots toppling over one another to get into bed.

A smooth swishing sound, her low, silky voice mumbling something, then another swish and a click and Grimmjow was left in silence and utter confusion.

The former Sexta blinked, glancing over his shoulder and looking around the room.

It was empty, and Vicenta and her suitcase were gone.

"…Well, fuck."

* * *

"Thanks, Cap'n Ukitake." Aporro slurred slightly, a dreamy, sluggish smile on her face as she swayed slightly and looked at the white-haired man on the screen, "We all ov'r here jus' need a couple 'a days ta calm down…"

"_Oh, I understand what you mean completely." _Jushiro smiled kindly, nodding, "_When my condition flares from stress, I often find myself retreating to Ugendo…_" His smile then turned sheepish and he closed his eyes, rubbing the back of his head, "_Are you… alright? You seem a little—_"

"Drugged ta shit?" Aporro snorted, falling flat on the keyboard in front of her and giggling insanely, "Y-Yeah; Szay said I was gettin' too riled, so he… he…" She started giggling again, rolling right out of the chair she was in and falling to the floor with a thud.

Jushiro's eyes widened and he leaned forward, as if trying to peer over the lip of the keyboard on her side of the connection, "_Aporro?!_"

His only answer was a bubbly giggle.

Szayel practically morphed out of the shadows and walked forward, sighing heavily and adjusting his glasses as his lenses flashed in the strong but subtle glow of the computer screen in front of him, "Thank you, Captain Ukitake. And I apologize for my mate's indiscretion…"

"_Ah, there's nothing to apologize for, Szayel Aporro._" Jushiro smiled pleasantly, chuckling and shaking his head, "_Aporro is really a delightfully colorful young woman, and I find even when she's like this she's a rather… scintillating person to talk to._"

"I like pie!"

Both men sighed as Aporro burst into another round of giggles.

"_Aaah, just like when she came drinking with Shunsui and I during the star festival…_" Jushiro chuckled, shaking his head.

"Hmm…" Szayel scowled lightly. He remembered that incident.

It had been what lead to him cracking down on Aporro limiting her drinks with her shinigami friends after she had come back and nearly killed the entire complex with an airborne virus when she had tripped over one of his trays to grope him.

Sensing the slight tension in the room, Jushiro coughed lightly into his hand and changed the subject, "_If you'll send Miss Vicenta through senkaimon A-12, I'll have one of my men meet her in the Dangai._"

"Hehe, Szayel, I can feel my pineal gland!"

Both of Jushiro's eyebrow's shot up into his bangs. Just what was the male Arrancar in front of him drugging his mate on?

"…Ah-hem, yes, well," Szayel adjusted his glasses, the lenses flashing in the light again, "If you don't mind, I have to… deal with my mate…"

"Hehe, Szaaaayeeeelll… I can feel one of _your_ glaaaands…"

Szayel barely had time to slam his hand down on the power button to shut down his computer before he was flushing darkly and looking down into his mate's face, a muscle beneath his eye twitching as she grabbed him through his hakama.

"…That isn't a gland, Aporro…"

Aporro grinned up at him sluggishly, her hand kneading his testicles as she stumbled to her feet and leaned against him heavily, purring, "Well, pardon me for losing my basic anatomical knowledge when you go and drug me on funnily colored things that make me horny…"

Szayel's flush darkened and he choked on a groan, pinching the bridge of his nose until his eyes watered, "You have the libido of a damned adolescent, I swear…"

"One would think you would enjoy that…" Aporro managed before her lips were glued to his neck, her fingers still working on massaging the every-hardening, cloth-covered flesh in her hand.

Szayel ground his teeth, hissing softly and closing his eyes.

Shit, this woman had a way of making him feel young again…

Not that Arrancar aged by any measure, but they did tend to feel world-weary at times, and even more so in increasingly frequent bouts as time wore on.

But Aporro…

…She seemed like she was going to be the kind of Arrancar who would never feel the ravages of time.

"Hey, wanna do it on the keyboard this time?"

…And if she kept this up, Szayel probably would feel it too often, either.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Manly Men Play With Dolls…?

Szayel stares at the doll in front of him, his fingers laced and his amber eyes narrowed in focus.

Does she actually think she'll win this game?

Szayel has _centuries_ of experience in sexual abstinence on her, and he _has_ never and _will_ never feel guilty to resorting to underhanded tricks.

Does she actually think she'll win this game?

Ha.

Szayel Aporro smirks darkly, reaching out and picking up the doll of his mate, created by his special Fornicaras ability.

Almost lovingly, he brushes a hand through the doll's hair and caresses its cheek with his thumb, making its little doll head bend on its little doll neck.

Briefly, he wonders where Aporro is, what sort of situation she must be in, and how embarrassed she must feel when and if she's reacting to his invisible hands ghosting across her body.

Smirking darkly, sinisterly, Szayel chuckles to himself and caresses the doll's little breast with his pointer and index fingers, tweaking where its tiny nipple would be (had the doll been that exact) and using the thumb of his other hand to stroke its crotch.

Does she actually think she'll win this game…?

"Hey, Szayel!"

The scientist, flushing darkly and panting his arousal, looks up at the screen of the computer in front of him, blinking when he sees a remarkably unfazed Aporro smirking back at him, waving something in her hand in front of the camera she's looking into.

He twitches when he sees, what appears to be, one of his Fornicaras dolls.

"Honestly, hon." Aporro sighs dramatically, smirking, "If you're going to plan on tormenting me with one of these things, you shouldn't leave them out where I can see them in passing."

Szayel twitches again, realizing the doll in his hand is a fake.

Aporro smirks, shoving the tiny her into her pocket and turning, walking off with a wave over her shoulder, "Have fun taking care of that _little_ problem in your pants, Princess!"

…He is _not_ a 'Princess'!! He is a _man_!! …Who just happens to play with dolls…

Szayel sighs heavily and growls, tossing the fake doll aside so he can lean back in his seat and reach underneath the waistband of his hakama.

He was _not_ going to let her win this game.


	10. Lilit Roja

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Vicenta emerged from the Senkaimon slightly pale and jaded, flinching as the bright sun of the Soul Society overhead bore down on her. She had a feeling she was never going to get used to the feel of the sun, no matter how many times she visited. It probably went against the nature of half of the blood in her body…

"Miss Vicenta!"

Blinking past the blindness, she smiled and nodded to the Captain of the Thirteenth Division, walking ahead of the shinigami escorts who had been sent to her and bowing when she was standing in front of him, "Captain Ukitake."

"Welcome back." Jushiro smiled, inclining his body slightly, "I take it your trip here was uneventful?"

"Yeah." Vicenta nodded, smirking slightly, "Much better than the last trip when Mom managed to get us thrown off the path and chased halfway across the Dangai by that Janitor…"

"That's good." Jushiro chuckled. He then saw the small white case in her hand and tipped his head slightly, "Your luggage?"

"Ah, yes." Vicenta nodded, glancing down at her bag and nodding, "It's actually bigger than it looks, but—"

"Here, allow me to take that."

Vicenta followed the new, outstretched hand up an arm up to the face of a man with black hair that stood straight up several inches, a long goatee that shared the same stiffness his hair did, and an odd white rope tied around his forehead like a bandana.

She recognized him; one of the Thirteenth Division's two third seats, Kotsubaki.

"Ah… Very well, then." Vicenta nodded, relinquishing possession of her suitcase if only to appear polite; in all reality, she felt an odd sense of revulsion towards the idea, which made her feel slightly guilty (again, her Hollow and human sides at war with one another).

Kotsubaki took it with a winning smile, and briefly flashed his captain a thumbs-up.

In a flash, though, a short blonde, shorter than Vicenta and far shorter than Kotsubaki, snatched the suitcase out of the male third seat's hand, the female co-third seat moving to stand in front of Vicenta and bowing.

"No, allow _me_, Miss Vicenta." The girl, Kotetsu, straightened, grinning and throwing her partner a triumphant look, "Because unlike me, _he_ can't follow you into the women's quarters."

"Kiyone…" Kotsubaki growled, his hand shooting out and latching onto the suitcase, "She said _I_ could. Besides, the Captain already approved it!"

"The Captain _so_ did not approve it, _Sentaro_, and I'm the more logical choice! I'll carry it!"

"Kiyone!!"

"Sentaro!!"

Vicenta watched with a blank face as the two third seats in front of her grabbed onto opposing ends of her suitcase and initiated a game of tug-of-war, both of them shouting too loudly at one another to hear the sheepish and exasperated words of their captain as he tried to placate them.

It wasn't very long before one of the two accidentally discovered the button that snapped the case open and clothes went flying through the air, white jackets, hakama and gloves splaying across the dirt ground and getting dusted in a light tan.

Sentaro and Kiyone froze, staring at the mess around them in horror as the two shinigami behind Vicenta who had escorted her through the Dangai groaned.

Vicenta forced a smile to stay on her face as she and Ukitake looked directly at one another, though she couldn't stop a small twitch below her left eye.

Jushiro smiled back at her apologetically.

"…Sentaro, look at what you _did_!!"

"What _I_ did?! If you hadn't tried to take it from me, it never would have spilled in the first place!"

"If you would have admitted the _logic_ in my observation and just _handed it over_, we wouldn't have struggled with it! Besides, you pressed the button!"

"No, _you_ did!"

"No, _you did_!"

Vicenta pinched the bridge of her nose, whimpering, "Can we just… go to the division now, please? All of this sun is giving me a headache…"

* * *

Vicenta frowned down at the shihakusho she was wearing, tugging the uncomfortable collar into place yet again as it threatened to slip open and free her breasts. Honestly, how these shinigami women got them to stay in place, or how they were even that _comfortable_ with being so open…

Fortunately, it was night, and while everyone else may be sleeping or close to it, Vicenta was wide awake and far more at ease.

Sighing, she walked over to the door and slid it open, peeking out and looking up and down the hall. There were a few scattered shinigami drifting around, but the division was mostly empty, most either presumably in bed or out for the evening.

Like she planned on being.

For a creature born in a world of near complete darkness, like Vicenta, exploring new areas during daylight hours wasn't exactly… pleasant. Unlike her mother, she wasn't adapted to or all that fond of the brightness, so wandering around at the late hours was much more desirable.

As she left the Thirteenth Division altogether and set off down one of the many wall-lined, stone paved roads that was part of the maze that was the Seireitei, Vicenta considered what she would do her first night back within the Soul Society.

She could always wander around the Rukongai; she'd never been there, and though none of the residents (as her father had said) 'were hardly anything even remotely interesting', that didn't stop her from being curious. She'd never seen a non-spiritually gifted human soul and was curious as to how the reishi composition in the air around them would taste…

Then again, leaving the confinement of the Seireitei when she wasn't carrying Gavilan Pintado and without an escort would be a bad idea, especially if she got into a spat with some of the rougher inhabitants of the Rukongai and got herself trapped outside when the wall lowered.

Vicenta sighed.

She'd have to stick with wandering the inner sanctum…

Just as she was contemplating heading back and wandering around Captain Ukitake's small but quaint garden, something drew her attention to a courtyard she was passing.

A large sign with a cross and two lines below it, and even more distinctive than that a hanging sign below that with something that looked like a wriggling caterpillar being one of the supporting parallel bars.

The Twelfth Division…

Though she was completely and utterly sure her father would _kill_ her if he knew that she was even _considering_ walking into the SRDI, she couldn't help but meander on over slowly…

Szayel Aporro Grantz and Mayuri Kurotsuchi, despite being notoriously and strikingly similar in so many ways, shared a rivalry that was as much common knowledge as it was known that Yachiru Kusajishi had a series of tunnels dug throughout the Kuchiki manor for her own entertainment.

Still, Vicenta had rarely interacted with the shinigami scientist, and never had she been alone with him, so she couldn't help but be curious as to how the man was in his natural work environment, not to mention how he managed to run a smooth operation with so many sentient underlings (unlike her father, who was a veritable one-man-show with several dozen mentally challenged twits who were only able to handle up to three carefully detailed instructions at a time).

Really, though… she supposed she should have seen it coming.

Dressed as a shinigami and as little-known as she was outside of the 'inner circle', Vicenta should have suspected that the moment she walked into the division she would either be kicked out as a wayward trespasser or put to work…

And even though it went against the purpose of her being in the Seireitei to begin with, Vicenta had to admit she was rather thrilled when the latter happened.

"Finally!" Vicenta was snatched up the moment she entered the dark foyer of the laboratory, a rather harried-looking young male shinigami turning on his heel and dragging her further into the room, "Honestly, you would think with the time they give you new recruits to find your posts that at least _one_ of you would be on time! You were supposed to take over my shift two hours ago!"

Vicenta blinked, figuring she should put up some form of resistance despite the fact that working actually sounded pleasant at the moment, "Actually, I—"

"Bah, no excuses!" The man swung her into a large room filled with U-form island tables that served as workstations for the dozens of shinigami who were buried in their jobs, "That workstation right there!" He pointed, "The beaker on the Bunsen burner! It's a typical and extremely basic substance that the Captain wants put under various stimulants! The chosen stimulants are right behind it in test tubes, the clipboard is on the right-hand side… You do the math!"

"I'm no—" Vicenta turned to speak to the man, only to blink when she saw the white robe he had been wearing over his uniform swinging from one of a long row of hooks on the wall behind her, the shinigami, himself, gone.

After a pause, the young Arrancar sighed and grabbed one of the several remaining robes for herself and slipped it on over her head, going to her 'assigned' workstation.

When she got a good look at the clipboard the young man had indicated to, she scoffed. _Clearly_, he hadn't been paying attention to his assignment _at all_; Kurotsuchi actually wanted the various fluids in the tubes behind the beaker combined in such a way that the liquid in the beaker, itself, (which wasn't _basic_ in the least but actually extremely volatile) was neutralized.

No wonder he had been in such a hurry to get out; the idiot had no idea what he was doing and wanted the failure of his assignment passed on to a new recruit.

Fucking stupid greenhorns…

Vicenta snorted, poured a pure neutralizer into the already ruined liquid and dumped the useless remains down the sink.

She had just located a pure, untainted solution and was getting to work when an oppressive force stepped up behind her and the hairs on the back of her neck stood.

"What are _you_ doing here, _Spawn_?" Mayuri Kurotsuchi drawled, using the derisive nickname he'd come up for her when she was younger and had continued to use ever since.

"Working, Potting Soil." Vicenta answered easily, glancing over her shoulder and smirking slightly when she saw him twitch at the jab at his name, "What does it look like?"

Mayuri twitched, making his daughter and the haggard-looking horned man behind him shy back instinctually, "It looks like you're ruining the integrity of my experiment. Who let you in?"

Vicenta snorted and rolled her eyes, turning back to the project in front of her and getting back to work, "The idiot who was working on this last and rudely mistook me for a new recruit. Honestly, do you let just _anyone_ work in here?! You'd think these people had never felt the reiatsu of a Hollow before… Oh, and the last guy you had working on this was a dipshit. He was one ketone away from a poisonous gas leak that could have shut you down for _months_…"

The growling behind her got closer until it was right in her ear, Vicenta having to suppress a shudder as Mayuri hovered over her shoulder and watched her hands, his ridiculous hairstyle making her tilt her head slightly so a few stray blue strands would stop irritating her ear.

"…Well…" Mayuri scoffed when the previously red liquid in the beaker fizzed and turned clear, "It would appear as though the Perfect Being actually did something _right_."

Pointedly ignoring the jab at her father, Vicenta turned to the clipboard and scribbled down her results quickly, turning towards the captain and holding out the paper with a quirked brow, "Did you want this now, or is there some paper tray it goes in?"

Mayuri sighed, dismissing her with a flippant wave even as he started to walk away, "Akon, take it."

Vicenta narrowed her eyes at the back of his head, then stared at the horned man dully as he reached out and took the paper from her, slipping it underneath the already quite full snap on his clipboard.

When she met Nemu's eyes, the two young women stared at one another before they both nodded and bowed simultaneously.

Heaving a sigh, Vicenta turned towards her workstation and started cleaning, twitching when she was called to from across the lab.

"Oh, and Spawn! Make sure to bathe before you come back to work tomorrow; you reek of those disgusting creatures who are half your kin."

His answer was a beaker of the pure volatile substance Vicenta had been working with being thrown across the lab at the back of his head.

Despite the damages done to his lab and the budget he was going to have to pull fixing the mess, Mayuri would only be able to giggle about it later.

* * *

Vaida chewed on her finger irately, completely unaware that she'd broken the skin and was bleeding all down her chest.

No, she was far too stressed to notice.

Ever since the young, black-haired Arrancar who controlled the black balls had disappeared back into her rat hole with her two guards, there hadn't been a stir.

Not even the slightest flicker of reiryoku.

As far as she knew, there was no sort of substance or 'Arrancar' magic that could block the feel of one's spiritual pressure, but then again Vaida wasn't about to do anything stupid like assume there was none.

In fact, she was almost completely sure that she'd heard Gillo mention something about those sorts of properties once…

Still, it was that sliver of uncertainty that was making her so scared.

She'd gone through the trouble of sneaking out of Gillo's territory to come and stake out, but before she'd come she'd made sure that word had gotten to Daramos that she was onto something…

And it was in that instance that Daramos learned of her existence.

Now, she would be expected to deliver something, and if she didn't…

…She was pretty sure Gillo was annoyed enough with her that he wouldn't protect her.

Vaida shuddered and hugged herself, swallowing.

Maybe… maybe Gillo had been right… She was in a bit in over her head.

"Well, well, well, looks like a liiiiiittle sparrow found herself one big old assignment…"

Vaida tensed, her gauntlet fingers digging into the skin on her arms as she swallowed hard and looked up over her shoulder, her eyes wide.

A tall, proud woman grinned down at her, flaming red hair cascading down her back, over her shoulders and near dragging the ground and dark yellow eyes flashing dangerously.

Marccia Bone's long, dual serpentine tails whipped around and settled around her waist like two thick belts, disturbing her loin cloth and nearly revealing her sex.

Her still largely intact mask covered her cheeks, hugged around the back of her neck and swooped down beneath her breasts in sharp, angular plains, leaving the tops of her breasts bare to the pale moonlight above.

The Vasto Lorde's grin widened and sharpened when she saw the terror in Vaida's eyes, and she leaned down and grabbed the younger by the chin, pulling her up and off of her feet.

Vaida trembled as Marccia's reiatsu hugged her, hugged her tightly, constricted, tightened… tightened… tightened until she couldn't breathe…!!

"You, little sparrow," Marccia cooed, her forked tongue flicking out and making another gash on the other side of Vaida's cheek to match the one Gillo had given her, "Need a bit of help with this assignment. Don't you agree?"

Vaida whimpered and finally managed to struggle a bit when the woman pinched her jawbone until she heard the bone creak in protest.

"Ah… ah…!!"

Marccia chuckled, then leaned in and spoke in Vaida's ear in harsh, cutting tones, "This is what I'm going to have you do…"

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Pong…!

"Agh, no, you don't twist it like that!"

Grimmjow freezes outside of his mate's lab, frowning. 'Kurosaki…?' Confused and interested, he leans in and presses his ear to the door, listening.

"You have to move it gently, back and forth… Grasp it firmly with your hand, but not too firmly. It's very touchy and the wrong kind of stimulus will make it become unresponsive."

Grimmjow twitches, his eyes narrowing. Just what in the _fuck_ is going on in there…!!

"Son of a…" Vicenta whines, "The whole thing just went flaccid! What the hell?!"

"I told you, these things can be very touchy. See, you just have to grab it very carefully right here… now we'll shift it around until it— ah, there we go! Standing upright again, like it should be."

Grimmjow twitches again, his eyes widening. Just what… just what the fuck… is going on…

"Good, good… And that's all you have to do. Move it gently up and down."

"Right, right… And you're sure doing things like this will make Grimmjow more comfortable in my lab? I just hate it when he comes in here and has nothing to do but watch me…"

"Mmhmm." Ichigo grunts, "Y-Yeah, Grimmjow'll like it well enough. Guys like these kinds of things… Man, you're good!"

"Thank you." Vicenta sighs, "Honestly, men are so easily entertained… I just don't like the mess it makes…"

"Eh, cleanup's usually the easiest part. You just have to—"

"ALL RIGHT, THAT'S IT!" Grimmjow bursts into the room, "KUROSAKI, GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY MA—!" Grimmjow freezes, blinking.

Vicenta and Ichigo look up, both sitting in their own rolling chairs with a healthy five feet separating them. Between them is a dinosaur of a gaming system, and in their hands are joysticks. Dozens of thick wires are scattered around their area in an otherwise clean lab, and on the screen in front of them is a game of Pong.

"G-Grimmjow!" Vicenta jumps up, biting her lip and hiding her joystick behind her back, "It… it was supposed to be a surprise… I wanted to—" Something behind her back snaps and she brings it around, scowling down at the now limp joystick in her hand, "Son of a bitch handle keeps popping out of its socket in the base! Fucking old-ass human technology!"

Ichigo sighs heavily, throwing a smirk and Grimmjow and rolling his eyes, "I _told_ you, you have to be gentle with the stick; this technology is older than you, after all."

Feeling immensely relieved, Grimmjow sighs heavily and leans against the doorframe.

"…Grimmjow, just what in the hell did you think we were doing in here?"

Grimmjow tenses. 'Aw, fuck…'


	11. To Stress, From Lucidity with Love

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Aporro watched the monitor in front of her, feeling so smooth and cognizant for the first time in a few weeks that she nearly wondered if it weren't a dream. Even if it was, she wasn't particularly sure she liked it…

Idly, her focus shifted through the split screen view of different sectors of El Sanctuario, both inside and out.

On the main view in front of her, she watched as Szayel dissected some poor, condemned soul who had (according to the records he'd gotten from Kurotsuchi) been doomed to become a Hollow, anyway.

The fact really didn't stop her from feeling a tinge of guilt when the still-cognizant human screamed… though the endlessly sexy image of Szayel spattered in a light coat of blood did do something to dull that.

On the dozens of smaller views that boxed the main image in, hallways, room, crossroads within the complex and the sands of Hueco Mundo on the outside moved or stayed stationary, giving her as complete a map of what was going on in their home as anyone else could possibly have.

Though she wasn't too keen on the idea, Aporro couldn't very well deny the fact that she did this frequently out of worry for all of the Arrancar she had inadvertently become the matron of, thanks to the actions she'd taken so long ago when she had been human.

While the job really was something of a pain in the ass, Aporro admitted to herself with a small smile that it really wasn't all that terrible.

Much as she screamed and bitched at all of the lesser Arrancar who happened to cross her path and piss her off, she genuinely did care for their wellbeing and, for some reason or another, instinctually cared for the wellbeing of all Arrancar.

She supposed it was residual from having to be the speaker for the Arrancar during the early stages of negotiation with the Seireitei to exclude the entire population of El Sanctuario from the Seireitei's list of Hollows who were to be hunted or killed on-site.

She also supposed that it was why she constantly felt she had to be a nosy bitch and butt in when it looked like things were going wrong.

Like they were now.

One of the smaller views that boxed in the view of Szayel poking at the gallbladder of the condemned soul started to flash red, making Aporro snap out of her rather bland thoughts and pay attention.

When she saw it was the view of her daughter's lab, she reached out and tapped two separate locations on the entire blank span of glass-like material in front of her, resulting in two separate, unmarked squares flashing and the computer obeying whatever command she had typed in; the result being the main view switched to the flashing red view of Vicenta's lab.

Aporro would probably never forgive Szayel for making his son-of-a-bitch keyboard so goddamned complex, with no visible markings for any specific keys or even what each key stood for, but then again it wasn't really any of her business.

Szayel's keyboard, both the rigid and limp aspects, belonged to him and him alone, and the fact that she could use it as well as she could only showed that there were certain functions on it he _allowed_ her to use, so she really shouldn't bitch…

…Even if he was being indirectly condescending and allowing her to use these functions for the sole purpose of keeping her entertained.

A situation which was very much unlike the one with their daughter, whose keyboard was almost unnecessarily complex for the sole purpose of keeping anyone who didn't belong on it off.

Aporro sighed as, once again, her mind strayed from the main topic, as it had a habit of doing when she tried to make a mental image of how _she _imagined her mate's keyboard to work.

While Szayel wasn't as computer savvy as Vicenta, he was by no means stupid at it; Szayel knew every aspect of how his technology functioned inside and out and would be able to function with it fully if he were blinded, deaf, had one hand crippled and was suffering from a concussion.

What made Vicenta so much more brilliant was her ability to adapt readily; to accept systems that were not made by her own hands and to figure out how these systems functioned quickly; to use more than one kind of MO.

In short, to keep a plethora of schematics that were both open and closed to change ready in her mind at all times so that she could completely and utterly destroy any ingrained protection in her path in order to get what she wanted.

And as Aporro stared at the flashing red image in front of her, she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

The image displayed Vicenta's main lab, her primary computer running about several different programs all at once but the one that was foremost calling for help.

One of her programs was crying its master's assistance.

Apparently, another one of the Hueco Mundo Mapping System cameras had been taken out.

A situation which made Aporro about as frustrated as Vicenta would be.

Because Aporro knew that she wouldn't be able to fix this without informing Vicenta of the situation, which was counterproductive to sending her away in the _first_ place.

And now Aporro had a headache.

Aporro sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Now she remembered why she wasn't particularly fond of being lucid.

* * *

Szayel Aporro had purposely picked scrubs that breathed well for this particular dissection, and it was because of a fact that only he and his mate knew (though he wouldn't deny that others could probably readily speculate and derive conclusions that were extremely close to the real reason).

The reason was simple yet morbid; Szayel liked to feel the blood against his skin.

He enjoyed the wait that came with the time that lapsed between when blood first touched the fabric to when it finally seeped through enough for his nerves to register the wetness; he relished the way that same wetness dragged across his skin with every move and surely, every time, dyed his skin a faint red that would remain well past the first five minutes of the hot shower he would take before he went to bed every night.

He loved how it, with the live subjects, started as warm and gradually cooled, or how it, with the deceased fresh from refrigeration, went from freezing cold to whatever his body temperature happened to be at the time…

Though this morbid fascination didn't apply to all vivisections or autopsies he performed; no, he usually only wore strict cloth scrubs when he was performing vivisections on humans.

Save the fact that it was difficult to keep a spiritual body intact when the consciousness had passed on, the death of the body lead to the innate reiryoku that it held dispersing into the air, leaving the body feeling stale in more ways than one.

With living humans, Szayel could still feel their reishi dancing on his skin and while it was no substitute for devouring human souls, it was as close as he was ever going to get.

…That and, admittedly, the sensation was quite pleasant.

A pleasant sensation which contrasted sharply with how his mate's reiatsu felt against his skin when she was extremely irritated or even angry.

Which was why Szayel was glad she was neither when she walked into the necropsy room; slightly stressed, yes, but not angry.

Szayel thought it best to distract her before her stress escalated to irritation or anger and she killed the delicious mood in the room, "Aporro, come clamp this vein off with a hemostat."

Aporro sighed, closing her mouth and letting the words die in her throat as she walked across the room briskly and ran her hands through the sink before grabbing a locking, scissor-like clamp with dripping fingers and hovering over the incision he was working on.

The time she spent looking for what he wanted clamped and actually clamping it allowed her to gather her thoughts, and she barely registered the zipper-like series of clicks that followed the sealing of the hemostat before she started talking.

"Another one of Vicenta's camera pods was destroyed."

Szayel's hands paused automatically so he didn't make an accidental cut as his body allowed his mind time to register what his mate had said.

"…Are you completely sure?"

"Well, I would ask Meryl, but she's busy going haywire right now and Vicenta's lab is on lockdown. I'm fairly sure I didn't misread what I saw on the security camera, though… And, unlike the PAPA unit, this one managed to send footage back."

"…Hand me those long, silver pins one by one, will you?" Szayel set his scalpel aside, ignoring the incoherent mutterings of the soul on the table as he peeled the dermal layers on the man's right bicep aside to reveal the convulsing, dark red and marbled bulk underneath. "What did you see on the footage, Aporro?"

"What do you think?" Aporro asked back in a slightly scathing tone, handing him the first of several long needles, "A small, humanoid form and a flash of white near the face and arms that I could only assume was a mask."

"So you're under the impression that it was another Vasto Lorde…" It wasn't a question, and Szayel sighed softly behind his surgical mask as he pushed the extremely sharp, fine tip of the needle through one area of a flap of skin.

Aporro snorted, handing him the next needle and flinching slightly when he pushed it through like he had before, a perfectly measured inch and a half to the right of the last one.

Szayel glanced up at his mate, chuckling slightly when she saw the disgusted face she was making. She never had liked vivisections…

"Lemme go, lemme go, lemme go, lemme go, it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts, I want my MOOOOMMYYYY!!"

Aporro hissed and spun around, grabbing the first partially full syringe she saw and stabbing the soul in the thigh.

Szayel sighed as she medicated the muttering and whimpering man, turning back to his work and picking up his scalpel again, "You're lucky that was an anesthetic; I would have been quite irritated if you had wasted a perfectly good virus."

"He was in pain…" Aporro muttered in her defense.

"He was in _shock_, Aporro. I can assure you, he can't feel a thing."

"Isn't that also what you assumed when I let you medicate me on that experimental drug of yours so you could remove my appendix?"

"Well, you _weren't_ in pain, were you?"

"Worse. I was _conscious_ and _paralyzed_ and you _know it_."

"And I _thank you_ for your understanding in that matter, _love_." Szayel purred, pulling down his mask long enough to lean across the body on the table and give her a not-so-chaste kiss, "I really do."

Aporro glared at him, snapping her teeth threateningly, "Don't tempt me, _dear_."

Though the irritation between them was palpable, they still smirked at one another before Szayel nudged his mask back into place and went back to work.

Assuming he was done with her, Aporro sighed and turned away, moving to wash her hands again, "…It seems odd that the Vasto Lordes are deliberately going out of their way to destroy the pods, doesn't it? I mean, Vicenta does have them set to fly rather high…"

"Hmm… Considering it was the oldest apparatus that was attacked first, I suspect that there must have been something wrong with it that annoyed whatever attacked it." Szayel sighed, stepping back from the table and flicking his bangs out from in front of his mask, "And if matters are grave enough, word does travel between Vasto Lordes, so…"

"So they're out there playing Telephone?"

"…If you wish to put it that crudely." Szayel shrugged, turning back to the condemned male soul and taking his scalpel to his groin.

Aporro glanced back at him and made a face, turning a light shade of green before walking to the door briskly, "Let's not tell Vicenta about this unless it becomes a problem."

"Agreed." Szayel mumbled distractedly, setting his scalpel aside and grabbing a razor so he could properly prepare his subject for a thorough examination.

"…And Szayel?"

The former Octava paused and glanced over his shoulder, quirking a brow.

Aporro stared at him flatly, "Your complete disrespect for another man's gnads has me concerned for your sexuality."

Szayel stared after his mate with a blank face as she walked out, then turned back to shaving his subject's pubic region.

It would appear as though he would have to placate her concerns when his work was finished…

* * *

Grimmjow lounged on his mate's bed and stared at the ceiling, pissed but in too much of a cat-like, languid mood to take it out on anyone. He always got like this when he stayed still for too long.

…The former Sexta decided he needed to do something.

Heaving a loud, angry sigh, he swung himself to his feet and ran a hand through his hair roughly, shoving his other into his pocket and marching to the door.

At his side, Pantera beat against his hip more than usual with every stride and, briefly, it almost seemed to him like it was begging for a battle…

…Actually, Grimmjow started to think with a wide, crooked grin, a spar didn't sound half bad.

In fact, it sounded like _just_ what he needed.

And as he walked out of Vicenta's room, who should walk by but—

"Aporro-bitch!"

The woman's thin shoulders stiffened and her head snapped back over her shoulder, hair flying in a pink wave and amber eyes glowing lividly even as a toothy grin split her face.

"Yeah, Jaegerjackass?"

"Ya up for a spar?" Grimmjow asked, beating her grin with one of his own. After all, unlike her he had fangs even in his sealed state.

Aporro looked him up and down slowly, her lips sliding back into place over her teeth and curling into a wide, sinister smirk as she nodded slowly, "Sure, I could spare some rage for a few blows…"

And that was what Grimmjow loved about sparring with the bitch; when it came to fighting, she never talked down to him. And unlike that punkass Kurosaki, she had no problem pounding him when he slipped up and took a harsh blow.

Of course, he was always more than willing to return the favor and plow her into the training mats when she left her guard down… though he did know when to back off.

The woman really could be a bit brainless about fighting, and when she got into it she would refuse to give up, even when she knew she was down for the count.

The second they stepped foot into the training complex, Pantera was drawn and sparks were showering as their two bodies collided, Barracuda Bicuda screaming in protest as it scraped its way down Pantera's jagged blade.

Grimmjow grinned down at Aporro, who smirked back up at him, her eyes dancing.

"Eager, aren't ya, Aporro?"

"So I got stress to burn? Fight back already."

Chuckling, Grimmjow swung them around and threw Aporro back across the mats, watching as the former Octava's specially made, shock resistant floors held out as they always had where normal flooring would have cracked, peeled back on itself and rippled.

As they threw themselves at each other over and over, swords clashing, ceros flying and even a few punches being thrown, they fought off their own angers and stresses:

Grimmjow fought off the annoyance of having his mate a world away.

Aporro fought off the worry and paranoia at the possibility that one of her daughter's experiments had gotten them in trouble.

Unaware, they both fought off stress Vicenta had inadvertently caused…

Gradually, Grimmjow and Aporro forgot, lost their reason and just fought.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Philandering Phail…

Aporro watches amusedly as Szayel unabashedly flirts with Cirucci.

She smiles as her mate runs his fingers through the former Privaron's hair, and she giggles when her mate plays his lips along the woman's jaw.

Vicenta, Grimmjow and Lilinette watch worriedly as Aporro just continues giggling in the face of Szayel's blatant cheating with his former flame and Aporro's former cause of much despair and heartache.

"Er… Aporro…?" Lilinette reaches out hesitantly, poking the woman's side and hiding slightly behind her lunch tray when the woman turns to her with an all too-wide smile, "You… uh… do see what Szayel's _doing_… right?"

"Of course I do, silly!" Aporro giggles, petting Lilinette's head before standing and grabbing her tray, "He's pulling the most obvious stunt yet in his attempts to get us to end this little celibate stint we have one another on." Abruptly, she deadpans, her tone icy, "It's not working." She then turns cheery and starts giggling again, turning and heading to drop off her tray in the kitchen, "If he asks, I'm going to the Seireitei! Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake invited me over for tea and sake." She pauses, then glances back and smirks, "Tell him Stark went with me."

Vicenta, Grimmjow and Lilinette stare after her as she saunters out of the dining hall, then turn back to watch Szayel and Cirucci.

Cirucci is still kissing along Szayel's neck feverishly, but Szayel is staring after his mate with a highly annoyed look on his face, one eye twitching. Szayel mutters something to Cirucci, who rolls her eyes and turns back to her lunch as if nothing had happened.

The three Arrancar watch (now highly amused) as the former Octava gets up and storms over to them, his face pink both from embarrassment and slight arousal.

"So, Dad…" Vicenta drawls, propping her elbow up on the table and leaning her cheek against her hand, smirking up at her father amusedly as he glares down at her, "What'd you bribe Cirucci with to get her to participate in _that_ little display?"

"Nothing important." Szayel answers immediately, twitching, "Where is your mother going?"

"On a date…" Lilinette answers, sipping at her juice box and throwing Szayel a devious smirk when he glances at her, "With _Stark_ in the Seireitei."

Szayel twitches, his flush darkening, then turns and stomps to the door, muttering various, multilingual obscenities under his breath.

Grimmjow snorts, rolling his eyes, "Those two deserve their own soap opera… Or maybe a sitcom."


	12. Strange Friends

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Vicenta had purposely been ignoring Mayuri Kurotsuchi's summons, going so far as to hang out with Kyoraku and Ukitake out in the open so the Twelfth Division Captain knew just whom she was blowing him off for.

Because no matter how bored she was, or how interesting it sounded, there was no way in hell she was about to go back to that man's lab so he could snatch her up and make her his temporary assistant.

No way.

If she was _anyone's_ lab assistant, it was her father's and her father's alone.

Vicenta crossed her arms stubbornly, pouting and glaring off into space. 'Stupid, persistent old man…'

"Miss Vicenta?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, Vicenta blinked and flushed at the amused look Kyoraku was giving her.

"Now what did the poor cherry tree ever do to you?" The Captain of the Eighth Division chuckled, sipping at his sake and quirking a brow, a lopsided smirk on his face. "And you know you're ignoring poor Akon…"

"Oh, right…" Vicenta nodded, then looked at the horned man from the other day and flatly said, "Tell Potting Soil he can go to hell."

Akon blinked, then sighed, and Vicenta had half a mind to feel bad for the poor scientist, but then Kyoraku and Ukitake laughed at her and she was angry and embarrassed all over again.

"'Potting Soil'?" Ukitake tittered, shaking his head and smiling at her, "Now, what did Mayuri do to you to deserve that sort of nickname?"

Vicenta sighed and stared at Akon dully, her voice low as she spoke, "Well, my nickname is 'Spawn', for starters. The man also made jabs at my father, my mother, and my race in general, and apparently finds my only redeeming factor to be my human half."

"Actually, he finds your redeeming factor to be your almost obsessive need to follow directions to a T," Akon mumbled back, his eyes sliding down to the grass, "But that's completely beside the point. The real point is I've been ordered to… 'harass' you every fifteen minutes until you cave, so can we please get this over with? I have a lot of work to do…"

"Let's not and say we did." Vicenta shot him down coolly, closing her eyes and sipping at her tea. The prospect of sitting underneath a shady cherry tree at midday and listening to two old men chat about the golden years and periodically getting hit on was becoming more and more appealing the more this shinigami scientist stood there.

"Aww, cut the guy some slack, Vicenta." Kyoraku said with a grin, waving his flat, saucer-like cup of sake and sloshing a bit of the clear liquid across the grass, "It can't be all _that_ bad, now can it?"

In answer, Vicenta opened her eyes halfway and turned her head slowly towards the captain, regarding Kyoraku with a blank, flat and ever-so-slightly searching stare, as if she were partially hoping he was kidding but didn't really expect him to be.

"…Then again," The brunette ceded after a moment with a soft sigh and a sheepish smile, looking down at his sake and shaking his head, "This _is_ Mayuri we're talking about…" He drank, then poured himself a bit more.

During all of this, Akon watched silently, and Vicenta wondered briefly if he was _actually_ counting down until the next fifteen minutes was up.

"So, Miss Vicenta…" Ukitake began after a moment in a sheepishly nervous tone, clearly looking to change the subject, "Will you be staying long enough for the upcoming festival? Byakuya is opening the Kuchiki Gardens for a few days for a sakura viewing and the divisions are preparing a few booths."

Vicenta blinked, perking slightly. She liked the traditional festivals the Gotei allowed themselves to indulge in when times were peaceful; most of them took place during the evenings, and they all gave her a glimpse into the culture her mother had once been apart of.

"Well, that actually does sound like fun…" Vicenta mumbled, "I wonder if I should call Mom…"

"She'll find out one way or another, I assure you." Kyoraku chuckled, shaking his head. "And when she finds out, so will your father, and when he finds out she won't be allowed to go anyway…"

Vicenta sighed, concluding, "And then they'll get into an argument and I won't want to be at home, so in the end I'll end up at the festival… Yeah, you know what? Let's just skip telling my mom."

"Sadly, a wise choice." The Captain of Eighth sighed, raising his cup in a toast, "It truly is a shame Aporro can't come; she's always fun to be around when she's tipsy." He then took a sip of his sake.

"Miss Vicenta Acere," Akon began suddenly in monotone, his face blank, "You are hereby cordially invited to the Twelfth Division's Resear— Ah, hell." He sighed, rubbing the back of his head and giving the young Arrancar an exasperated and slightly pleading look, "Just come. Please. Even if it's to tell him to go to hell in person."

"Look, Akon, I already said I do—"

"He said he'd give you a computer so you can hack your father's system and check on your experiments."

"…Did I say I wasn't interested? Haha!" Vicenta laughed merrily, standing and skipping over to Akon to slip her arm through his and smile up at him, "I meant I'd _love_ to come."

The captain's of the Eighth and Thirteenth Divisions raised their brows, and Akon stared down at the Arrancar with carefully masked apprehension.

He trusted this girl about as much as he did his captain. Which, no matter how much Akon may respect the man, wasn't much. He didn't like the way her eyes glowed… It reminded him too much of the Octava Espada.

Which Akon supposed was only to be expected, though that didn't make the situation any better…

"Pardon me, Captain Kyoraku. Captain Ukitake." Vicenta said politely to the two men, smiling and bowing to them, "But I'm afraid that Potting Soil and I have a previous engagement."

Kyoraku chuckled, shaking his head, "Have fun."

"And stay safe." Ukitake sighed, "Your mother would be quite angry with me if anything were to happen to you, not to mention how your father would react if he heard Captain Kurotsuchi was involved."

"I know, I know." Vicenta tittered lightly, keeping her arm looped through Akon's as she turned and started dragging him towards the Twelfth Division.

Akon twitched slightly at Vicenta's surge of enthusiasm to return to where she had previously been most adamant about avoiding.

Suddenly, he didn't want to go back to work.

* * *

"Alright, Potting Soil, I'm here." Vicenta announced, throwing one of the SRDI's lab coats on and walking in with a rather self-important air. "Let's get to work."

"You're late, Spawn." Mayuri mumbled, not looking up from the work he was reviewing, "Go scrub the glassware in the back."

"…I beg your pardon?!" Vicenta practically shrieked her indignation, making the working lab technicians cringe slightly, "You, Potting Soil, were the one who wanted me here so badly! I never conceded, thus a time span was never set! I refuse to do your grunt work!"

Ignoring her, Mayuri glanced up from his reviewing and stared at her dully, golden eyes half-lidded and gaze hollow with his mind clearly elsewhere, "I don't know how things work in _your_ backwater 'laboratories', but here unless you are doing the nightshift your workday starts at six. Sharp. When you're seven hours late, like you are, you do grunt work. Now, go scrub the glassware; we will need clean beakers by this evening, if the way some of these dolts go through lab materials is any indication."

By now, all work had slowed dramatically or ceased in the lab, technicians and department heads watching the fight in mixed horror and amusement. While there were those amongst them who stood up to the Captain and, indeed, even argued with him, debates were always of an intellectual nature. Intellectual debates were really the only ones condoned.

But the Arrancar guest arguing with the Captain over basic laboratory etiquette and rules?

A different matter entirely. And one the Arrancar wasn't likely to win.

Even though everyone in the lab knew Vicenta was right; she and the Captain never _had_ reached a mutual agreement that she would be returning for 'work'…

Though no one was about to openly agree with her on that and question the _Captain_…

Vicenta's back went rigidly straight and her face flushed with embarrassment, hands clenching at her sides. Grinding her teeth and huffing, she turned sharply and made to storm out, clearly ready to call the whole thing a bust.

The moment she clamped the doorframe in her hand to swing herself into the hall, though—

"Aaahh, just as I expected. The Perfect Being _did_ teach you to run from unpleasant situations. How _like_ him."

The wooden doorframe in Vicenta's hand split straight to the ceiling and Mayuri's expression went from dull to highly amused, a grin curling on his thin lips.

Vicenta lowered her head and giggled, her back hunching and shaking in anger.

To cede would be to prove a silent point he had made about her, but to just walk out would prove the verbal one he had made about her father.

That clown-faced son of a bitch had her trapped…

Vicenta spun around quickly, her grinning face meeting Mayuri's and the two scientists glaring at one another heatedly.

The shinigami underlings shuddered, taking an unconscious step back.

Though this wasn't nearly as bad as a showdown between their Captain and the Octava Espada (a situation they _all_ unfortunately knew from firsthand experience), it did have an eerie echo of similarity and it made their skins crawl.

"This is so _like you_, Potting Soil."

"But of _course_, Spawn."

Not sparing one another any additional glance or word, the two went their separate ways; Vicenta marching to the overflowing sink in the back and Mayuri billowing to the lab that held his pipe organ-like computer.

Nemu, who had been standing behind her father for the entire ordeal, stayed were she was, staring off into the space in front of her. After a moment, she glanced first at Vicenta, then at her father.

She sighed.

For some reason, she could never bring herself to feel overly happy when her father made a new friend.

* * *

"If you were working with crystallized _shinigami_ reishi, then yes! But this is _Arrancar_! You need to use a blue-lite laser!"

"I always have, and always will use the red. That isn't about to change because some uppity Arrancar _brat_ who figures herself a scientist is trying to integrate her father's styles into _my_ workplace!"

"Oh, for the love of— Arrancar reishi is _denser_, you dolt! You need to use something with a _shorter wavelength_ to increase your precision! If you try to use the red, the beam will scatter and the cut will be jagged! No _wonder_ your data readings are so skewed!"

"You little worm, my readings are not skewed! And the beam will not scatter! The longer wavelength will assure a far more stable beam than the blue _ever_ could without the assistance of a condenser, which would defeat the purpose!"

"I did not agree to let you crystallize part of my reishi so you could screw it up! Use the blue!"

"Red!"

"Blue!"

"Red!"

"Blue!"

"Red!"

Nemu watched blankly as her father and his friend (though she would never call them that directly) screamed at one another over a rather dangerous-looking piece of equipment, resisting the urge to sigh.

What may have, at one point or another, been considered an intellectual debate had quickly disintegrated into a childish squabble, and with the volumes Mayuri and Vicenta were now reaching Nemu doubted she would be able to gain the attention of either of them.

Which was rather unfortunate, considering the laboratories were about thirty minutes passed closing for the evening and they were eating well into the time Mayuri had promised Vicenta use of his computer in exchange for the data he gathered from her.

Still… she supposed she should at lest _try_…

"Father… Miss Vicenta… It's after-hours."

Two pairs of differently hued yellow eyes darted to the clock above the door Nemu was standing in, then down to the Lieutenant, herself.

Nemu met the stares evenly, her face as void as ever.

"…Potting Soil, may I use your computer now?"

"…Yes, Spawn, I suppose you may."

Nemu stepped aside as her father strode out of the room, waiting until Vicenta had walked by briskly to follow the two to Mayuri's pipe organ-like computer.

Stepping aside with a snide smirk, the captain turned to Vicenta and gestured to his chair 'graciously', making Vicenta glance at him oddly before she sat.

Nemu blinked.

Only she and her father were able to read the tweaked and coded alphabet her father engraved on the musical organ console he had used in substitution of a standard, computer keyboard, so how…

"Master," She began slowly, walking up behind him, "I'm not sure she—"

"Silence, Nemu." Mayuri growled, backhanding her without thinking and watching Vicenta as she stared down at the keys in front of her intently.

Slowly, Vicenta lifted her hands and held them over the organ keys, trying to remember why she recognized the artful, curving characters at the bases of each of the keys that certainly weren't any kind of Japanese script.

Some kind of Middle Eastern lettering…?

One finger hovered over a key, but before she pressed it she looked up at the monitor. It was black, but emitting a soft light; it was probably in hibernation. At least she wouldn't have to make herself look like an idiot trying to turn it on; she just needed to hit one key and see how the computer reacted. Then she could…

As Vicenta slowly pressed down on a random key and it lit, three pairs of eyes twitched to the screen and watched as the complex computer came out of hibernation and started running a program.

Mayuri glanced at the program, then back at the girl in his chair, quirking a brow slightly when she moved the same finger she'd pushed the first key with up a manual and over five keys to the left, pressing the new key she came to.

When the program she had opened immediately shut down, Vicenta smirked and Nemu blinked.

"Alright, then…" The young Arrancar mumbled to herself, finally using all of her fingers to touch the keys and starting to 'play', her feet tentatively brushing the pedalboard when a few of the keys didn't react exactly as she had expected.

Nemu's eyes widened slightly when thirty minutes later Vicenta was typing rapidly on the computer in front of her, her amber eyes slightly glazed as if with boredom and her fingers flying from level to level of the organ manuals, playing key after key with near expert grace.

When she stumbled periodically and hit one or two wrong keys, her hands would automatically shift down a few manuals to type out a series of new keys that would quickly correct her error before she picked up where she left off.

"…Very well done, Spawn." Mayuri drawled as she accessed El Sanctuario's network, a scowl on his face as he studied her keystrokes carefully.

Though she knew he wasn't doing this out of the 'goodness' of his heart and was probably reaping some benefit from it, Vicenta couldn't really bring herself to care; even if the shinigami managed to find his way into the Arrancar network later the security would already have changed ten times over.

If anything, a fun little arms race would start and keep them occupied for a good few years.

Vicenta was just about to enter the password that would open her computer when—

"_Hello, sweetheart…_"

Vicenta stared at the screen in front of her in horror as the login page disappeared and gave way to a, presumably, prerecorded message of her mother sitting in her father's chair, leaning forward with a grin and purring.

"_Now, Centa, did you _really_ think Mommy and Daddy would be so _stupid_ as to think that you wouldn't try to do your work from over there when you got bored? Tut tut, darling, you really do underestimate us, don't you?_" Aporro's grin widened and her eyelids drooped heavily, "_While Daddy got the pleasure of completely blocking your computer from your eyes, I get to gloat, so…_

Aporro stood, her expression going from cool triumph to childish glee as her amber eyes livened and sparkled. The woman then pointed at the screen and—

"_HAAA–HAHAHAHAHAAHAAAAAAA!! JUST _TRY _TO OUTSMART US, YOU LITTLE BRAT!!_"

With that, the screen went blank and Mayuri's default desktop glowed proudly on the screen, all of the work Vicenta had done gone.

Despondent and numb, the young Arrancar turned around in her seat and faced the two Kurotsuchi's, something inside of her dying.

"…Are you _really_ going to let them defeat you _that_ easily?" Mayuri asked disgustedly after a moment, snorting and rolling his eyes when Vicenta's hollow, lost gaze turned to him, "Well, I don't know about you, but personally I'm already _relishing_ the idea of completely _obliterating_ your father's defenses."

Amber met gold and, after a moment, two grins of identical malice curled over two sets of teeth, one white and one decorated yellow.

Nemu sighed softy. It would appear as though this had just turned into a tag team cold war.

…Just why were the girl's parents working so hard to keep her out of her files, though?

* * *

"What a good little sparrow you are…" Marccia crooned, wrapping her long, thin fingers around Vaida's neck and lifting the younger Vasto Lorde up to her level, the redhead's lips brushing her cheek, "You followed my directions _so well_. I'm _proud_ of you."

Vaida said nothing, flinching when Marccia's forked tongue lathed the injury it had made earlier on her cheek, opening it up, making it deeper, borderline making it so it wouldn't _heal_…

"Now, all we need is the final nail in the coffin… the thing that will push them over the edge and make their resolve crack." Marccia dropped Vaida without ceremony and turned to the Adjuchas kneeling behind her, smiling at them and tracing her plump bottom lip with a long fingernail, "I want you to take out a few more of those balls, but leave one for our precious little sparrow."

As the Adjuchas bowed and shouted "Yes, Mistress!" before dispersing, Marccia turned back to Vaida with a cruel smile, hooking her pointer finger underneath the younger Vasto Lorde's chin and bringing her up to her level again.

"And you, dear… You get a short rest. When I come back, I'll tell you what I want you to do with that final ball." Her eyes narrowed and flashed, "Do _not_ tell Gillo what we discussed."

Vaida lowered her head and choked as Marccia crushed her with her reiatsu in what she supposed was to be a warning, the pressure lingering so intensely even after the red-head had left that when Gillo arrived, Vaida's face was a splotchy red and white, her lips blue.

Gillo's eyes widened slightly as his charge struggled to breathe and he flicked his wrist, sending a waft of his own spiritual pressure in her direction and making a breeze that blew Marccia's remaining aura away.

They both were silent as she collapsed, her body wracked with tremors and her ribs standing out as she gulped down air.

"…What did Marccia want?" Gillo asked in a low tone after a moment.

"N-Nothing…" Vaida rasped, taking a few minutes to try to struggle into a sitting position before she gave up, simply laying there and mumbling, "She… she just wanted to remind me of my place…"

Gillo stared down at her, his face blank.

Vaida wasn't sure if he believed her or not… And, for the moment, she didn't care. She was lightheaded, the world was spinning in front of her and her body was cold…

The young Vasto Lorde just curled up, closed her eyes and passed out, but not before she felt a large, comforting presence flop down beside her.

* * *

Gillo watched as Vaida lost consciousness.

He didn't believe the little brat; not for a moment.

Something was going on… but so long as she was going to be stupid about it, Gillo wasn't about to say anything.

He would be keeping an eye on them, though…

He didn't trust that bitch, Marccia, for anything, and Gillo had _not_ saved Vaida from her once just to let that serpent hurt her again.

The moment Marccia Bones endangered Vaida's life, she would find herself down a limb or two.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

The Snack That Smi— er… Whimpers…?

"How can you _eat_ that?!" Ichigo cries, watching as Vicenta absentmindedly chews on an arm of one of her former lab assistants, Ursula.

Vicenta looks up and blinks, then glances down at the small, bony arm dangling out of her mouth. She flushes, embarrassed, then pulls the arm out of her mouth and covers her mouth as she chews.

After swallowing, she wipes her mouth and looks up at Ichigo, "It really isn't all that terrible, you know." She offers the unbitten end of the arm, tilting her head, "Would you like to try?"

Ichigo makes a face and sputters an indignant, "N-No!" He was starting to regret inviting Grimmjow and his mate to a picnic… Of course, Orihime had insisted, so…

Grimmjow throws him a feral grin, "Scared, Kurosaki? Go ahead and take a nibble; it might put some hair on your chest."

Vicenta throws him a flat look, "By that line of thinking, Grimmjow, then I, too, should have a hairy chest." She sighs heavily and rolls her eyes when her mate chokes on one of the rice balls the shinigami had brought.

Orihime looks at the arm of the former lab assistant sadly, her eyes watering slightly and her hand over her mouth as she mumbles, "The poor thing…"

Vicenta glances at her and blinks, then smiles, "Don't worry; Ursula was almost exactly the same as my Father's old Fraccion, you know. She can easily be rebuilt and have her old memories restored."

"I suppose…" Orihime sniffles. Rukia gives her a consoling pat on the back.

Vicenta blinks, "…She didn't feel any pain, and this was exactly what she was made for."

Orihime sniffles.

"…" Vicenta holds out the arm and waves it, "She's cheeeeeeerrry flavored…"

The arm is taken from the Arrancar's hand in a flash, the young soul chewing on it happily while looking at Ichigo with a grin, "Try some, Ichigo! It'll put hair on your chest!"

Ichigo and Rukia turn green as the two Arrancar and their fellow shinigami happily eat away at Ursula.

Apparently, Orihime Inoue's odd appetite knows no bounds…

"Can I put spicy mustard sauce on this?"

…Ugh…


	13. Underhanded Tricks

^.^ Many a thanks go out to Bladre MKT and HanakoAnimeaddict for their continued support~!

And… uh… *nervous laugh* I suppose this chapter deserves a warning… so…

Warning: Aporro using 'interesting' methods to get what she wants.

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Szayel sighed and picked up Aporro's exhausted body from the training mats, cradling her close to his chest as he threw a blank look at Grimmjow and grabbed Aporro's zanpakuto.

The blue-haired Arrancar was passed out on the heavily bent and damaged bleachers, his head thrown back and his mouth opened in a loud, ripping snore.

As they had every time they sparred, Grimmjow and Aporro and let their perceptions of time escape them and had ended up training for nearly twelve straight hours. Of course, they had collapsed. And, of course, Szayel was left to clean up the mess.

…Well, the only mess he would be cleaning up was the one his mate had made.

Grimmjow wasn't his responsibility.

Heaving another sigh, Szayel turned his back on his destroyed training room and headed down the hall, trying to banish the images of rubble and cracked walls and ceiling from his mind…

The last thing he wanted to deal with right now was the stress ulcers that would come from thinking about how much time and equipment he would have to use to repair things.

As he walked back to his room, Szayel got a good whiff of his mate and made a disgusted face, his nose wrinkling as he looked down at her.

She smelled _terrible_, and no way in hell was she going to get into their bed smelling like that and sticky… Because she would leave Szayel to change the bedding, and their bed was massive. It would very well take him two hours to change the bed sheets alone, not to mention the washing.

Twitching when he realized just how… _domestic_ he was sounding, Szayel gave Verona a rather harsh kick when the Fraccion walked past him, letting the ensuing screech take the edge off of his annoyance.

When the sound of the Fraccion made Aporro stir, Szayel slowed and glanced down at her, waiting for her to settle before speeding up again. There was no point in needlessly waking her; she would end up wanting to _talk_ or do something _physical_, and Szayel wasn't particularly in the mood.

After he had finished his regular work, he'd gone to check on Vicenta's computer… or, at least, he'd tried to.

Predictably enough, Vicenta had several security measures set up on not just her computer, but her lab, as well, for when one of her many alarms went off. What Szayel hadn't predicted, though, was how difficult it had been to get past the security… And the most he'd been able to glean from his efforts was, yes, another camera pod had been taken down, and, yes, a Vasto Lorde had done it.

No time.

No location.

No measured amount of force that had been exerted on the camera.

In short, no _pertinent_ information.

And though Szayel had to thoroughly _applaud_ his daughter for her security, he was feeling extremely _pissy_ at the moment and couldn't bring himself to.

Sighing, Szayel tossed Barracuda Bicuda onto his bed as he walked through the door and headed straight for the bathroom, starting to unbutton Aporro's top as he did.

"Nnnngh…!!" Aporro squirmed as he set her down on the counter and propped her up against the mirror, "Stoppit… cold…"

"And I can assure you that the bath will be warm…" Szayel mumbled, pulling her into leaning against his shoulder so he could ease her coat off, "You can continue sleeping, if you wish, however you are _not_ going to bed covered in sweat and filth."

"Asshat…" Aporro mumbled, though she still pressed closer to him. Her sleepiness fled when she was pushed back again, her eyes snapping wide open and a shocked and protesting squeak bursting from her mouth when her bare back met the icy glass of the mirror.

Aporro sat ramrod straight, then looked down at Szayel groggily and watched as he untied her hakama and started pulling.

"Nu-uh, nu-uh." Aporro mumbled and shook her head, pushing him away so she could stand and slip her own clothes off, "Not on the cold-ass counter… No fuckin' way."

"Fine, fine." Szayel said, backing away and holding up his hands in surrender. "Do it yourself."

Groggily quirking a brow at him, Aporro let her hakama fall in a puddle around her ankles and stepped out of it, walking over to him and pressing her chest against his as she tipped her head questioningly, "Is someone PMSing?"

"No, I'm _not_." Szayel snapped, twitching and sighing when she quirked a brow at him.

"Okay, then you're not on your man-period." Aporro drawled, much more lucid, slipping past him and sauntering over to the shower, "You're just stressed. That is _much_ easier to fix…"

Szayel quirked a brow, then glanced back at his mate and watch as she slowly, deliberately swayed her hips on her way to the shower. "…Aporro, are you trying to _seduce_ me as a method of improving my mood?"

Aporro paused, glancing back at him with a smirk, "Is it working?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned away and slipped into the shower, the water starting to run as she turned it on.

Szayel turned fully to stare after her with a blank face, his hands clasped behind his back and the lenses of his glasses-like mask starting to fog as steam filled the room.

After a moment, a slow, sly smirk tweaked his lips and he started slipping his clothes off.

Of _course_ it only made sense for him to use her body as his stress toy…

…If only she would _let_ him.

Even when she was drugged or exhausted, if she wasn't paralyzed it would be nearly impossible for Szayel to dominate…

Much like it was now.

The moment Szayel stepped into the shower, his shoulders were seized and he was slammed into the wall.

He groaned as her mouth smothered his, twitching when her fingers worked quickly down his body and made his knees buckle slightly. The moment Szayel had slid down the wall enough for his mate to hover over him, he found himself trapped between her legs, her hands grabbing his wrists and bending his arms behind his back.

Aporro was one of the few, if not the only person, he would submit to, if only just because she knew how to do it.

The woman was, aside from her crude mannerisms and assuming personality, voracious, and for reasons he had never quite understood she had only ever craved him. As an Arrancar, he could see this; life-mates, while they generally _could_ be attracted to others other than their mate, typically weren't serious about it.

When she had been human, though… Szayel couldn't even _begin_ to understand what had made her attracted to him back then, as he'd always been his usual self with her; he'd mocked her, used her, abused her, and was blatantly open about keeping her 'happy' only to suit his own needs.

And yet, as she did now, she'd never shown anything but a steadfast devotion to him that bordered on the obsessive. Not even his Fraccion had been like that…

…Szayel supposed it had been that devotion that had worn him down and warmed him up to the idea, and he supposed that he would have to say that… even before she had become an Arrancar, Szayel had come as close to loving her as a Hollow could ever get to genuinely loving another being.

"…Szayel…"

Snapping out of his thoughts at the croon, Szayel looked down, amber eyes narrowing slightly and twitching and his cheeks burning when he saw Aporro kneeling between his legs, looking up at him.

Aporro stuck her lower lip out slightly in a pout and tilted her head to the side, muttering, "What, is our sex life starting to bore you? Or am I just not doing a good job?"

"Ah, that's hardly the issue, Aporro." Szayel muttered back, sighing, "My apologies… I was just thinking…"

"I could tell…" Aporro looked down at his flagging member, stroking it slightly and making it twitch, "You're going limp…" She looked back up at him, her eyes narrowing in anger and a sadistic grin twitching on her lips, "Well, now that I have your attention again, I'll just have to—"

Szayel's eyes widened and his upper body snapped forward, his hands weaving into her hair as she took him into her mouth.

This was unusual, and nearly a sensory overload… Aporro rarely agreed to perform fellatio, and almost never initiated it on her own.

She must—

"Ah… AH!!" Szayel lurched again, his fingernails digging into her scalp when she pinched him off around the base of his member just before he reached his climax. His back bowed upwards and he tipped his head even further back, closing his eyes and breathing heavily through his mouth as hot water cascaded down his body and onto hers.

Still, despite the fact that the water was almost scalding, it wasn't nearly as hot as her mouth.

"Aporro…" He glared down at her, panting heatedly and unsure of whether or not the steam in the air was from them or the hot shower, "What is it… you want?"

"What do I _want_?" Aporro innocently, the hand still on his hip slipping between his legs so she could massage his scrotum, "What makes you think I _want_ anything?"

"Y-You…" Szayel groaned, buckling and nearly falling when she wrapped her tongue around his head, her eyes still looking up at him expectantly with a quirked brow. The bitch… "You… ah… you're denying… me… release…"

Aporro immediately grinned, "So, you noticed." She grabbed his thigh and held him still when he jolted at her teeth lightly scraping him against a slightly protruding vein.

"Goddamn you, woman, what do you want?!" Szayel demanded in one strained, thin breath, his legs barely able to keep him up and his fingers getting slightly bloody as he scraped her scalp, though she seemed to ignore it.

Immediately, Aporro's face went blank and she pulled away from his hard member, pointedly ignoring his pleading whine and looking up at him seriously, "Kuchiki is hosting a party."

Bordering orgasm aside, Szayel found himself suddenly able to ignore the pleasure as he spoke in a tone just as serious as her own, "No."

Aporro quirked a brow, her lips pursing.

Szayel twitched; he didn't like that look. It meant she was about to do something drasti—

"URAAACH!!" The former Octava lurched yet again and struggled, suddenly burned by a white-hot blaze that was so intense his body couldn't decide whether he wanted to immerse himself in it further or push it away violently…

Aporro had her head turned slightly to the side, her face pressed flush against his pelvis as she deep-throated him, swallowing once… twice…thri—

"APOR–RO!" Now he was pushing her away. He was _definitely_ pushing her away. Because he had well crossed the threshold of reaching his climax, but still hadn't peaked.

Why?

Because she still had her thumb and forefinger pinched around him so tightly he was sure a ring was going to be burned into his skin there.

But like he could actually manage to push her off; her free hand was gripping his hip with her superior Arrancar strength to hold him in place, and he was too disoriented to put any real effort into any actions other than the unconscious gyrating of his hips.

He couldn't _think_ enough to properly push her away… all there was for him at the moment were sensations: an intense, slick heat, something thick and wet writhing around, flicking and pressing, engulfing, swallowing, _swallowing_…

Then, abruptly, his sex was pushed against the ridged roof of her mouth and they locked eyes again, Aporro working her tongue back and forth ever so slightly so that her teeth gently made a sawing motion against his flesh.

Szayel's chest was heaving, his ribs and sternum standing out proudly at each exhale and the world starting to spin and sparkle with dots of light.

_Please_… Szayel wasn't sure if he was really saying it or not, but he knew that, in his mind, he was pleading, _Please, please, please, please…_

She just continued to stare at him, one brow quirking slightly in a silent question.

_Fine. Fine you can go. Just please… for the love of god, Aporro, please…_

Aporro smirked, then closed her eyes and tilted her head the other way, taking him deep, deep, deep until he brushed the back of her throat.

Slowly, she unclamped her fingers and stroked his hips with both hands once, twice, then she swallowed…

And Szayel blacked out.

* * *

When Szayel woke again, he was warm and dry and laying on a clou—

"Son of a bitch…" Szayel murmured, sighing and pressing a hand to his forehead. When he heard a snicker beside him, he glanced over and glared at his mate.

Aporro glanced over at him from her book and grinned, her eyes dancing amusedly and her glee all the more obvious with her face completely exposed, her long hair pulled up on the back of her head in a twist.

"Well," She started after a pause, "I'll have to remember _that_ the next time I want something, won't I?"

Szayel glared harder.

Aporro snickered, then leaned over and cupped his jaw, drawing him up into a kiss.

Szayel let her, but not passing up on leaving her nursing a slightly bloody lip.

Chuckling and wiping the blood off with her thumb, Aporro turned her attention back to her book and sucked the red off absentmindedly, murmuring, "So, what were you stressed about, anyway?"

The former Octava sighed and went to answer, then blinked. After a moment, he let a grin slip his face and tipped his head back, covering his eyes with one hand as he laughed.

Because, for the life of him, he couldn't remember.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

My Party Senses Are…!!

Szayel sits back on his bed, propped up against a pillow with a book cradled in his lap.

Despite the fact that they are still, technically, fighting, Aporro is sleeping next to him peacefully, laying out flat on her stomach with her pillow pushed aside in favor of sleeping with a completely flat spine, her head turned to the side to allow her to breathe.

All around them and their room, El Sanctuario is silent, still… most sleeping, and those who aren't calmly going about their business without so much as a whisper of fabric or shoe against the floor.

Szayel loves these moments; he's come to relish them.

Because they're some of the few moments he doesn't have to tear his hair out worrying over whether his mate has been, is, or is going to be doing something stupid.

Or worse… doing something _smart_ and then using it for her own sick entertainment. Briefly, Szayel gets the feeling his mate has been hanging around him for too long and needs more female friends…

Still, for now, she is quiet, and as Szayel glances over at her, an unconscious, small smirk twitching on his lips at her innocently prone form, he's glad that there are few things in their world that could wake her up.

And, considering how quiet The Sanctuary is, he highly doubts any of those things will occur…

…Well… there is… one thing…

One thing that, inexplicably, wakes her up every single time without fail.

Szayel has yet to find a medical reason for it, but he's _sure_ there has to be one…

After all, it simply isn't normal for—

Suddenly, Aporro snaps into a sitting position and grins off into space, wide awake in less than a second.

"Byakuya Kuchiki is throwing a party."

Szayel doesn't care what he has to do to get his answers; someday, he _will know_ how her 'party senses' work!!


	14. Semantique

Warning: Display of Rayna's poor knowledge of French. ^.^' If anyone out there actually _knows_ French and notices any mistakes in my attempts at using it, please do tell me…

And, on that note, if you have the chance send your shout-outs and thanks to Bladre MKT, who has so kindly offered his talents in Spanish so that any mistakes I make can be smoothed out.

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Vicenta just stood passively as a few females poked and prodded at her, lifting her arms and pushing her into positions as they held different and colorful kimonos up close to her, trying to find the 'perfect one'.

"Her hair is _gorgeous_…"

"So are her eyes… but they just throw a wrench in the color scheme."

"Nemu, your dad has dark hair and yellow eyes; how does Captain Kurotsuchi match colors for these kinds of occasions?"

"Master Mayuri doesn't wear traditional clothing; if he goes to these sorts of events at all, he wears his uniform."

Vicenta zoned out as she was compared to Potting Soil, who she did _not_ want to think about at the moment…

Not because they were fighting, because they were but they didn't let it get in the way, but because she was having _no_ luck in getting past her father's _fucking_ blocks on El Sanctuario's network, and thinking about Mayuri reminded her of that.

Why?

Because he was getting just as testy about it as she was.

When he'd finally gotten sick and tired of watching her amble around without any results, he'd literally _thrown_ her out of his chair and sat down, trying out for himself.

When even _he_ hadn't gotten any results, though, they'd both started to get pissed, and the atmosphere had finally gotten bad enough between them that Nemu had simply walked out, unnoticed, without excusing herself.

After several hours, Mayuri and Vicenta had finally walked out of his computer room and through the labs, severely bloodied from various but unseen wounds and bruised in obvious places.

The odd part, though, was despite the fact that the two had _clearly_ inflicted the damage on one another, they both were plotting together in a way that was as close to '_chummy_' as either of them would get while working together. And no matter how they tried, the division members who saw their state and saw them still working together couldn't quite bring themselves to be shocked.

After all, the Captain and the Arrancar girl were (odd) friends.

Of course, predictably enough, as they were walking Vicenta had let it slip that the reason Mayuri and Vicenta, together, hadn't been able to outwit her father's programming was because she had _helped_ her father with it.

And, of course, this had caused Mayuri to automatically lash out and cuff her over the head, though they'd both continued to the division kitchen like he hadn't.

And the division members who had seen them had been more than exasperated.

Yeah… they were definitely _odd_ friends…

…She was supposed to go back to his lab today so they could continue their work, but, instead, Nemu had tricked her and dragged her to this… thing at the Shinigami Women's Association.

Apparently, Yachiru had heard that the young Arrancar was in the area and was excited about having such a nice 'doll' to dress up for Kuchiki's party… Not that Vicenta _minded_. After all, she did want to immerse herself in the culture.

However, she was starting to find that kimonos were quite cumbersome.

Her first instance was when she'd finally snapped out of her thoughts to find herself back in the Twelfth Division labs, Mayuri staring at her blankly.

Vicenta blinked, wondering just how she'd managed to zone out the walk between the Shinigami Women's Association all the way to the Twelfth Division, then looked down at herself and twitched.

Somehow, she'd let herself be stripped and shoved into a pale pink, silk crepe kimono that went down to her ankles. The left sleeve was decorated with hand painted, softly-faded, off-white leaves, and the lower left hem, above her feet, was done in a similar fashion with a few springs of the same kind of leaves accompanied by black-stemmed, blood red spider lilies.

The obi was orange, decorated with a red brocaded pine motif, and secured around that was a tightly woven, thick red cord.

"…Spawn, who did you let shove you into that _god-awful_ eyesore?"

It wasn't even an exclamation; it was a simple, almost innocent question.

And it was one that prompted a simple, almost innocent toss of a solution-filled beaker at the Captain's head.

Mayuri dodged easily by simply tipping his head slightly to the left, the blank look on his face never fading.

"If your precious _kimono_ gets ruined by something, I will not have you whining and sulking about it." The Captain said, deadpanned, as he quickly turned and walked across the room.

"I assure you, Potting Soil, your fears are groundless." Vicenta answered blandly, jerking one of the work robes over her head and following. "I'm no more enthused about this than you are."

"Then why are you wearing it?" Mayuri scoffed disinterestedly, snatching a clipboard from Akon before the man could hand it to him properly and looking it over.

"Why don't you ask the Lieutenant?" Vicenta asked back snappishly, making the Captain glance at Nemu.

Nemu blinked, offering her only explanation as, "President Yachiru's word is law."

Apparently accepting her explanation, Mayuri quickly abandoned his brief interest in his daughter and went to work, waving Vicenta in the direction of his computer room, "I want that code cracked today, Spawn."

"You and I, both." Vicenta grumbled, turning and walking off.

When she was in the room and went to sit down, she struggled for a moment, the kimono tight around her knees and making it awkward to ease herself into the chair.

Things got even worse when, as she tried to lean forward, her tightly fastened obi dug uncomfortably into her diaphragm and restricted her breathing.

Letting out an indignant huff, Vicenta sat back and drew herself up straight, glaring down at her stomach with pursed lips and a twitching eyebrow.

After a moment, she scooted forward and sat, rather painfully, on the edge of the chair, forced to keep her back erect and her shoulders rolled back slightly in good posture so she could keep breathing.

A pain in the ass, yes, but ultimately all in the name of accessing her computer and trying to find out just why her parents wanted to keep her in the dark so badly.

Glancing over the manuals and keys to reaffirm her mental layout, she flexed her fingers a few times before she started typing, the display automatically responding as if to the familiar hand and complying with her commands.

Vicenta's fingertips flew across the keys, quickly and easily accessing the basic El Sanctuario network. After that, figuring her way past the initial wave of security measures was almost like clockwork, and then she reached the third tier of protection and…

Ground her teeth, cursing violently under her breath a at her father's twisted sense of humor.

'_My Dearest _Fille_, let's forget the frivolities of _sémantique_ and focus on the _beauté_ of the noise, for while it appears shabby and riddled with splinters, _this_ is regarded as being rather _agréable à l'oreille_ to some native of _Bretaigne_ or another._'

Vicenta twitched, staring at the screen.

…Was there _any_ method of security her father hadn't used?

And had he suddenly geared the attention of the interactive ones to her for the simple fact that he _knew_ she was trying to hack in?

He _knew_ she hated the various tongues the humans spoke in, and though she'd never bothered to learn any but her own that didn't mean she was so uncultured as to not be able to recognize a foreign language when she heard one.

…Though she was so uncultured that she wasn't able to even _begin_ to guess what language speckled her father's otherwise Japanese words.

"Spawn, are you making any progress?"

Vicenta froze, her eyes widening, and then she jerked back to life and quickly shut the computer down, standing and walking past Mayuri as he walked into the room.

"Fuck this shit." Vicenta growled, tearing her lab coat off and balling it in her hand, "I quit."

Like _hell_ she was about to admit to the Captain that she had been stumped by a simple _language barrier_. He would find the gap in her knowledge utterly hilarious and she'd never live it down.

"Spawn—" Vicenta tensed when Mayuri's hand latched onto her upper arm, "What do you mean 'I quit'? You weren't even in there for twenty minutes today, and our work hours aren't over until eleven o'clock this evening."

"I'm _not_ a shinigami." Vicenta hissed, glaring over her shoulder at him, "So I _don't_ share your work hours. I _can_ leave whenever I damn well please, and I _want_ to leave now."

"…You've hit a snare in what you know to be an utterly simple barrier."

No questioning or exclaiming inflection; monotone as always. A simple statement of fact.

And yet, when the corner of Vicenta's eye twitched, a wide, sadistically pleased grin spread across his face and Mayuri started cackling, making the young Arrancar hiss and strain against his grip in vain.

"Let's go, then, Spawn." Mayuri cooed in a condescendingly 'gentle' way, tugging her back into the room and ignoring her adamant protests and struggles.

Getting jostled and confused when the Captain actually used his strength, Vicenta found herself sitting back in front of his computer in a flash, the laboratory robe back on her body and large hands painted in a resilient, heavy white make-up forcing her fingers to rest on the keys.

"Now, then, _Spawn_," The shinigami's voice purred next to her ear, making her shudder involuntarily, "Bring up the security barrier that gave you so much trouble and we'll review it _together_."

Vicenta ground her teeth audibly and hunched her shoulders, waiting as the Captain chuckled and backed away before she started to reluctantly type.

When the bilingual riddle was back on the screen, she waited as Mayuri read it, flinching when he started speaking not two seconds after.

"The other language is French, and the answer is 'cellar door', though he is probably expecting it to be written in English."

Vicenta blinked, staring at the kanji on the screen.

Now that she had a language and the answer, she could see how it all fit, but… She didn't quite get it…

"…A cellar door is beautiful…?"

Behind her, Mayuri sighed heavily, "Not the object itself, but the word; _cellar door_," Here, he said the phrase in what she was sure was English, "Is largely considered, in terms of phonoaesthetics, to be the most beautiful compound in the English language. Of course," Here, his tone turned derisive, "That is taken purely from a romantic's point of view, and thus has no factual base in terms of science. Once again, your father has managed to show another of his endless shortcomings insofar as his status as a 'scientist'. Frankly, I'm surprised he hasn't cut out his own tongue for the shame…"

Vicenta had already blocked out his words and was thinking, instead, about how he had said 'cellar door' in English.

…Surprisingly, the words had made even _his_ voice tolerable, so she supposed that the compound was, indeed, rather beautiful.

Of course, she wasn't going to tell Mayuri that; he was still going on about her father.

Instead, Vicenta switched the computer's font to English and carefully clicked the letters in, frowning and stumbling slightly.

Almost in the same instant she had to hit one of the many backspace keys, Vicenta found herself shoved out of the chair and off to the side, scowling when she looked back and saw Mayuri's hulking white mass in the chair.

"Prick." The young Arrancar grumbled, standing back up and taking off her lab coat so she could smooth her kimono out. Much as she hated the thing, she wasn't about to insult the Shinigami Women's Association by ruining it in the first hour of receiving it.

Mayuri ignored her and kept typing, having long since blown past the riddle and already working six tiers in.

Vicenta sighed and slipped the coat back on, tugging it into place before going to his side and looking over his shoulder at the screen passively.

And, as they had every other time, they didn't break through the last few codes before Vicenta had to excuse herself for the day and Mayuri was called to attend to matters in his division's laboratories.

"This is getting increasingly tiresome." Mayuri grumbled as they walked alongside one another to the building's exit. "I have half a mind to contact your father and hold you hostage…"

"It wouldn't get you far." Vicenta reported blandly, slipping her lab coat off yet again and hanging it up, "Not before my mother would have a bitch-fit and you would find yourself facing a court-martial."

The Captain nearly automatically snapped and said that the fools in the First Division would have to bodily drag him in for such nonsense, but then remembered the former Octava's rather bitchy mate and calculated that that would be _exactly_ what would happen.

Which was a hassle he didn't want to have to deal with; the girl was hardly worth it and it would cut into his work unnecessarily.

…Though now that he thought of the rather brutish mate of Szayel Aporro Grantz—

"Will your mother be attending Kuchiki's festivities?"

"Eh, if her party senses tingled, probably." Vicenta shrugged, sighing, "She loves parties…" She paused, then shook her head, "But I really, _really_ hope not. She isn't a lightweight, but Mother does love to get sloshed…"

Which was _exactly_ what Mayuri was counting on.

The Captain was glad that they had reached the door and Vicenta walked out, because as he turned to walk back into his labs he couldn't hold back a wide, sinister grin curling on his lips, making his broad, golden teeth flash in disturbing resonance with his eyes in the dim lighting of the division.

"Akon, Nemu, front and center! I believe it is about time we explored the wonderful world of alcoholic beverages…"

* * *

Aporro suddenly looked up from her work, a wide, pleased grin spreading across her face, "Booze."

Szayel, who had been trying to block out the painful and scarring ordeal his mate was putting him through, blinked and looked down at her, quirking a brow, "I beg your pardon?"

"Booze." Aporro repeated, looking back at her work, "Lots and lots and lots of booze."

She didn't elaborate further than that, and Szayel was partially glad for it.

Now that Szayel was stuck back in the present, though, he looked down at himself and flinched.

His mate was currently using him as a mannequin as she made, by hand, the kimono she planned on wearing to Byakuya Kuchiki's sakura viewing festival. It was one of the few times Szayel intensely regretted _ever_ making a doppelganger, though he supposed he couldn't deny the logic in her argument…

"What, you can use me as your double but I can't use you? Nice double standard, dickweed." She'd said.

Though all of it was oddly reminiscent of an argument they'd had so long ago, Szayel didn't have much time to reflect on it when he was, once again, snapped out of his thoughts. This time it was by something cold on his chest; Aporro was shoving bowls into the bra she'd fitted him with.

"Cold, cold, cold!" Szayel protested, slapping at her hands in weak protest.

Aporro looked up at him flatly, asking, "Do you want to go to the festival in your uniform, or do I get to dress you up?" When Szayel froze, twitching, she nodded and started adjusting the bowls, "Then be a good boy and stay still."

Szayel twitched again, glaring down at the top of his mate's head over his 'breasts'. She was going to pay for this later, dearly, that much was certain… but for now he had to distract himself.

"Where did you learn to do this?" Szayel asked, lifting his arm when she directed him to and watching as she looped fabric over it.

"I think I had to learn it waaaaay back when I was human…" Aporro answered with a distracted mutter, past all of the pins she had clamped between her teeth, "My family was pretty affluent, and like most families who would afford it I had to learn quite a few traditional things…"

Szayel quirked a brow, wondering, as he had so many times before, if he should be concerned that no matter how many times his mate's life was recycled she _still_ managed to remember things from when she had been human…

However, those thoughts were banished when he flinched and hissed, a fine-point sewing pin jabbing into his thigh, not piercing but definitely denting his sub-par hierro.

"Sorry, sorry…" Aporro offered a muffled apology, screwing up her nose in concentration and taking the pin back out, this time not stabbing Szayel when she slipped it back through the fabric.

Szayel sighed and kept his arms held out at his sides, watching listlessly as his mate continued to pin the pieces of fabric to one another, wondering just how she planned on finishing this before the shinigami's little get-together…

"Aporro, do you actually see completing this as realistic?" The former Octava asked in a low, slightly disinterested murmur, twitching slightly when his mate's eyes shot up to meet his, nothing but determination burning in her slightly glowing amber gaze.

"This _will_ get finished before then." Aporro said stubbornly past the pins in her mouth, glaring at him as if daring him to object, "Even _if_ you have to stand there _all night_."

Szayel groaned petulantly and let his head fall back.

One way or another, he was going to _get_ the bitch for this…

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Mutual Agreement…

"Hello, Szayel."

Szayel tenses slightly, then sighs and relaxes, continuing to take off his bloody work clothes. He hadn't even felt his mate tucked away in the darkness of the sitting alcove of their room, but he was not about to let her scare tactics get to him.

This game was wearing them both thin…

"Hello, Aporro."

"You were right, you know." Aporro continues after a moment, standing slowly and walking towards him at a calm, even pace, "I already can't take this."

Szayel smirks. He knew it…

"However…" She places her hands on his hips and draws him backwards, nuzzling the back of his neck and murmuring, "You can't, either…"

Szayel shudders, twitching. She's right… However…

"You're still the one giving in first, _dear_…" Szayel drawls with a smirk.

"No, I'm not." Aporro growls in his ear, then pauses and sighs, wrapping her arms around his waist and setting her chin on his shoulder, "I'm proposing a truce."

Szayel twitches, wondering what she's getting at.

"As you can guess by now…" Aporro mutters, sighing dramatically and slipping past him, flopping back on their bed and propping herself up on her elbows to quirk a brow at him, "There's quite a large pool out on which of us is going to cave. I'm not sure if you know about me, but I know about you and I know neither of us appreciates this very much."

Szayel twitches again. She's right; he doesn't like that. Szayel absolutely loathes the idea of others manipulating him for their own gain… it makes him feel all twitchy and gives him the need to slice someone open…

"Your point being, dear?" Szayel mumbles, staying cool and smooth as he quirks a brow and crosses his arms over his chest, leaning against the post at the end of their bed. Just because he agrees doesn't mean he's about to cave…

Aporro smirks, "My point being I'm the only person who, anonymously, of course, made the new poll option that says we'll talk it out, get over it and just have sex again. And as of thirty minutes ago, I was also the only one who had any money placed in it. The odds are stacked high against me."

"…Very well, then. I apologize for conducting that rather heinous and admittedly uncouth experiment."

"And I apologize for using sex as a punishment."

"Truce?"

"Truce."

The two mates immediately launch themselves one another, meeting in a frenzy of touches and caresses on the edge of the bed before they roll right off and fall onto the floor, making sure not to make any attempts to muffle the noises they are about to make.

Haggling could be saved for later, but Aporro was thinking they'd split the money… 70-30.

Of course, you could guess who would be getting the 70.


	15. What Embarrasses Teens

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Vicenta walked alongside the Thirteenth Division's Captain in dutiful silence, deciding to spare the man one more babbling fool since he already had his hands full trying to calm his two Third Seats.

Sentaro and Kiyone were in the middle of what only could be called a 'compliment war', each trying to outdo the other by paying their captain the most flowery compliments the could on his festival garments.

The poor captain was, as always, trying to placate them, and Vicenta could see regret written all over his face.

He was probably second-guessing himself and thinking he should have simply worn his uniform, instead.

When one of his long-fingered, pale hands flew up to cover his mouth and his face started to turn a light shade of red from the cough he was already suppressing, the young Arrancar decided she'd seen enough.

"What if we don't get there in time and we don't find a good place to sit?" She asked suddenly, sighing when the two Third Seats turned to face her, "Then the Captain would have to sit on a terrace or something, far away from the trees…"

"I'll go save you a seat, Captain!" Sentaro and Kiyone chimed in unison, both zipping off and leaving plumes of dirt lingering in the air in their wake.

Vicenta stared after them flatly, and Jushiro in slight and exasperated shock.

After a moment, the Captain turned to her and smiled, "Ah, thank you, Miss Vicenta… you manage to redirect their competitive tendencies rather well."

"They remind me of my Father's Fraccion." Vicenta said flatly, staring ahead with a blank face, "Only they're marginally smarter…" After a pause, she glanced at the Captain and smirked, "The Fraccion, that is."

Jushiro flinched slightly but still chuckled, shaking his head.

Vicenta giggled, her smirk slightly cruel as her joke was to Sentaro and Kiyone's expense, however the cruel note faded when she looked up at Jushiro worriedly as he covered his mouth and coughed lightly.

"Captain…?"

"I-I'm fine, I'm fine." He waved her off with a disarming smile, "Nothing to worry about."

"If you're already coughing, it'll only get worse if we keep you on your feet." Vicenta remarked, frowning, "And you using shunpo won't help considering you'd still exert the same amount of energy. I should carry you…"

"Really, Miss Vicenta, that isn't necessary!" Jushiro assured, holding up both hands now, "I assure you, I'll be just fine."

"Neeeeh, Jushiro, you should let the girl help if she wants!"

The Captain and the Arrancar stopped, glancing back as the Eighth Division Captain walked up to them, a playfully amused grin on his face.

"It'd be pretty hilarious to see Little Centa carrying you on her back." Shunsui finished, chuckling before flinching slightly when his Lieutenant smacked his arm with her book.

"Really, Captain, show a bit more concern." Nanao snapped, turning to Jushiro worriedly, "Captain Ukitake, perhaps you shou—"

"I'm fine." He assured both women firmly, his smile never fading, "Really."

Vicenta stared at the shinigami with a fathomless expression, then let her gaze slip to the side and muttered, "Fine."

The four fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence for a moment, then Shunsui broke it by speaking up in his slightly booming but deep voice, "Miss Vicenta, you look lovely this evening! My Cute Little Nanao said she helped you find something, but I hadn't expected this vision before me!"

Vicenta twitched and flushed, looking down at herself and mumbling, "It's confining, limiting, and utterly impractical in a work environment…" But she still liked it. Quickly, she looked up at Nanao and muttered, "Sorry…"

"It's fine." The Lieutenant sighed, adjusting her glasses, "I find I agree with you, however as we don't really move much for these sorts of events I think you'll come to see it works out just fine." With that, the woman walked on ahead, Vicenta falling into place behind her and leaving the captains to trail behind.

When they arrived at the Kuchiki manor, Vicenta stared around in wide-eyed shock.

Because the gathering was taking place at an unusual time (close to nightfall), the corner of the grounds that the sakura viewing was being held in was lined with lanterns. Several dark red paper lanterns were even dangling in the flowering trees, themselves, and coupled with the sunset, it gave the effect that the branches of the cherry trees were burning with a pink fire.

Elevated platforms with cushioned seats and thick blankets were spread out underneath and around the trees.

Several notes of a dry but delicate twang floated through the air, all coming, Vicenta observed, from a young woman dressed in rich, silk robes fitting a courtier who was plucking away at a stringed zither instrument laid out in front of her.

From what Vicenta could tell, a majority of the guests were higher-ranking, seated officers, several of whom had come in their shihakusho. The only splashes of colorful clothing were worn by the present captains and lieutenants, and even amongst them a few had chosen their shihakusho.

Vicenta suddenly felt stupid and tried to stand behind Nanao, not wanting to be seen and missing her Arrancar uniform _immensely_.

If only two certain Third Seats hadn't _spilled_ her _suitcase_…

Even as she thought of them, Sentaro and Kiyone noticed them from their place beneath a blooming tree slightly to the side of the festivities, near a large white wall, and stood, waving to them frantically.

Behind her, Shunsui and Jushiro chuckled and sighed, walking past the two women and weaving their way through the blankets and people.

Nanao followed her Captain immediately and dutifully, leaving Vicenta to straggle slightly and argue with herself before she finally just tucked her head and took off after the Lieutenant frantically.

And as she wandered through the blankets and people, Vicenta was suddenly and painfully aware of just what she was and how some of these people saw her; several of those who glanced at her took one look at her mask and sneered, while others huddled closer and whispered while stealing 'covert' glances.

Alienated.

While she knew, in the back of her mind, that she had friends in Jushiro, Shunsui and Nanao, foremost in her mind was a suffocating feel of isolation. A _knowing_ that while the others around her were humanoid as she was, they were two entirely separate species and she was utterly surrounded.

Instinct made her stomach pitch and she nervously craved soul (like some macabre comfort food), her fingers twitching and itching to grab at Gavilan Pintado to sate a primal urge to feel _safe_.

This feeling was in strong juxtaposition with how she felt in the Twelfth Division, and she suddenly knew why, no matter how she and Mayuri butted heads, she felt so at ease there; none of the scientists _cared_ what species she was.

The Twelfth Division was a patchwork of humanoid shinigami, some of whom, other being bipedal and possessing opposable thumbs, didn't look even _remotely_ human, like the amphibious Hiyosu. Or who looked human but had a few mutations, like the horned Akon.

With them, what she and what they were didn't matter. There was no 'us' or 'them'.

Out in the rest of the Seireitei, though, there was plenty of animosity… And Vicenta was starting to realize just how much the Twelfth Division had been sheltering her from this knowledge.

And, unable to bring herself to feel properly ashamed for it, Vicenta found herself actually _missing_ the Twelfth Division Captain.

Of course, she missed her mother, her father, her lab, her Fraccion, Stark, Lilinette, Halibel, Illforte, Cirucci, Wonderweiss, Tesla, and that asshole mate of hers _far_ more than she missed Mayuri. However, at the moment Mayuri appearing was far more realistic than any of her fellow Arrancar, so her mind was locked on him.

When they finally arrived at the blankets Sentaro and Kiyone had laid out for them (one red one over one blue one, both at odd angles since neither of them had been able to come to an agreement on which angle provided the best view to the rest of the party _and_ the trees at the same time), Vicenta sat on the other side of Shunsui, who had sat on near the furthest side of the blankets.

She hoped that, by doing this, she would be able to hide her small self behind his hulking frame and, thus, avoid the cold stares she could _sill_ feel being directed at her…

"Kiddo?"

Vicenta's eyes flew up to meet Shunsui's, a smile planting itself on her lips automatically when she saw his worried frown, "Yes, Captain?"

Shunsui's frown deepened, "Are you alright?"

"Fine!" Vicenta had to hold back a wince when she realized she'd answered a bit too quickly, opting, instead, to pause for a second before going on calmly, "I'm just not a big party person, unlike my mother…"

The captain frowned, as if he didn't really believe her, but didn't press and nodded, turning back to his left when someone started talking to him.

Vicenta sighed, relieved, then flinched when she felt even more attention being directed at her from all around, most likely due to the fact that she was conversing so easily with a captain.

She wanted to go home…

Feeling an odd solace in that thought, Vicenta lowered her head and sighed, closing her eyes.

She wanted to go home, she wanted to go home, she wanted to go home…

She wanted to deal with her pain-in-the-ass mate.

She wanted her mother to have to scream at her for something.

She wanted to suffer the annoyance that came with her father hovering and watching her work.

She wanted to be back in an environment she knew, an environment she could control, an environment where if anyone wanted to kill her it wasn't because of her race, but rather simply out of a primal need to obtain dominance.

She wanted to feel Gavilan Pintado's weaved pommel in her hands, its silver wired basket hilt brushing her knuckles, that _connection_ that came with being in contact with that part of her primal self…

Damn it, she _wanted_—

"Spawn, calm yourself down. You're making the underlings nervous."

Vicenta's eyes snapped open and she hissed softly at the sudden invasion of bright light, her head tipping up regardless so she could look up at Mayuri.

The captain, in his usual attire as one would expect of him, stared down at her flatly before letting out a long, disappointed sigh and sitting himself across from her and Shunsui, not even waiting to be invited. Just to his right, Nemu, also in her uniform, quickly ran her hands down her knees before sitting, as well, sitting up straight and holding her spine erect.

"Mayuri!" Shunsui greeted jovially, grinning and offering the captain a saucer, "Isn't this a pleasant surprise! Come, come, have something to drink."

"That is _Captain_ Kurotsuchi." Mayuri corrected snippily, not even acknowledging the sake and, instead, staring into Shunsui's face stonily, "And _thank you_, but no."

Shunsui chuckled, shrugging, then downed the saucer, himself. Beside him, Jushiro turned his attention to the two Kurotsuchis and smiled.

"I didn't expect to see you two here! You almost never come to social events…"

"Well, considering this event stole the attention of one of my underlings, I came to see just what she was so interested in." Mayuri's eyes swept the scene, a sneer twisting on his lips and making his nose scrunch, "Frankly, I'm not impressed with her tastes."

Incredulous and oddly elated, Vicenta was about to automatically snap at him when someone beat her to it.

"It is hardly polite, Captain Kurotsuchi, to not only show up late to a social event, but to also insult the event on the night of and on the host's property."

Slowly, the young Arrancar turned to look up at the regal figure of Byakuya Kuchiki, her eyes widening slightly. Aside from his commanding presence and piercing gaze, the man's reiatsu was _impressive_.

Beyond being clearly massive but very well concealed, only the very tip of the iceberg allowed to be felt, it was trained and honed to the point where she could almost see its fine edges, like a cut diamond.

While the other captains had gone though lengths to nearly completely compress their presences, the Kuchiki lord had done so while still making his evident enough for others to know exactly who he was.

The noble had no qualms with displaying his title, it seemed.

Noticing the young Arrancar looking at him, Byakuya turned his attention away from glaring at Mayuri and nodded to her, "Miss Vicenta Acere, a pleasure to see you could made it."

"Captain Kuchiki," Vicenta stood, turning towards him and bowing slightly, "Thank you for your invitation." Despite the fact that there were no noble families in Hueco Mundo, Szayel had impressed that, for the sake of the peace, all Arrancar treat ranked shinigami accordingly.

Still, even if her father hadn't said it, Vicenta probably would have found herself bowing to him, anyway. She was simply that sort of person.

When she straightened, Byakuya inclined his head again, then frowned at her, "Is your mother coming?"

Vicenta couldn't help smirking slightly. Her mother had a habit of crashing the captain's parties… "Not that I'm aware, sir. Then again…" She shrugged, "You know how she is."

A small, small muscle beneath the black-haired captain's eye twitched and he nodded slowly, understanding completely, "Yes…"

Vicenta flinched but snickered.

"Byakuya!" Shunsui spoke up suddenly, waving his jug of sake in a way that was probably supposed to be inviting and grinning at the captain, "Join us why don't you? Take the edge off after having to greet everyone."

"No." Was the noble's flat answer. He didn't make it a point to put on any frills or add any politeness.

Vicenta supposed that the phrase "Familiarity breeds contempt" was quite true among humanoids; she'd never really noticed, considering Arrancar were contemptuous no matter how well you knew them…

Suddenly, Byakuya and Mayuri tensed, their eyes snapping back over to the entrance.

Vicenta blinked, then glanced, as well, her eyes widening when she did.

Two heads of pink walked into the courtyard side by side, one somewhat reluctant and the other pulling the first along with confidence, as if it owned the place.

Predictably enough, the second head of pink belonged to Vicenta's mother, Aporro dragging along a seemingly unwilling Szayel as she effortlessly weaved her way through the trees, blankets and shinigami.

On top of sporting a wide grin, Aporro was also wearing a fine, slick kimono of an eye-catching blue, both shoulders and the fold above her feet painted with designs of delicate flowers and leaves, accented sharply by flying white cranes.

Though she managed to blend in slightly, her pink hair aside, Szayel was what caught the initial attention of those around him, the former Octava wearing one of his pristine and neatly pressed uniforms.

What made almost all movement in the area cease, though, was Aporro spotting Byakuya, raising her hand and waving once, her pinky and ring fingers curling in slightly towards her palm as she shouted, "Yo, Kuchiki!"

…Where before Vicenta wanted to disappear because she felt uncomfortably suffocated, she now wanted to disappear out of humiliation.

And, indeed, she did curl in on herself slightly, burying her face in her hands and groaning.

Parents could be _so_ embarrassing.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Why Szayel Isn't Allowed to Teach…

"Alright, class, today we will be learning about reproduction." Szayel says with a bright, cheery smile as he heads to the front of his 'class'.

"Che, you hardly look like the kind to be teachin' us 'bout this shit…" Kenpachi Zaraki grumbles from his too-small desk, arms crossed petulantly over his chest and his legs spread as he practically engulfs the small writing table in front of him with his massive hakama. Damn the Captain-Commander for making him come to this…

Szayel's smile twitches slightly and, out of habit rather than functionality, he 'adjusts' his glasses, "I assure you I am more than an expert at this topic."

"Che, sure, maybe the biology of it." Ikkaku grunts, smirking slightly, "But I betcha you don't know a thing about the practice."

"Now, Ikkaku, don't be crude." Yumichika chuckles, tossing his head slightly in a peacock-like display to grab more attention as he speaks, "I'm sure _Professor_ Grantz has practiced quite a bit on himself…"

Illforte twitches, wondering whose fucked-up idea _this_ little venture was…

Szayel twitches again and his eyes narrow slightly before he turns to the whiteboard behind him, starting to write, "Now, what makes reproduction between souls so much more unique than the reproduction that takes place between humans—"

"Practiced on herself? You mean chicks can do that?"

"…Is the fact that, unlike humans, who are all merely recycled souls, the offspring that can result between the mating of two souls—"

"No, Ikkaku, himself. _Him_self. Professor Grantz is male."

The whiteboard pen squeaks loudly and makes a bold streak before it moves on, "…Is a brand new soul, one that has never been through the cycle of reincarnation. This is possible because—"

"You fuckin' serious?!" A barking laugh, "Hell, Yumichika, _you're_ manlier than he is!!"

Hanataro flushes.

Cirucci bites her lip hard to hold back a giggle.

Vicenta lowers her head in shame.

The felt tip of the marker is forcibly pushed back into the capsule, making the plastic leave a long, proud scratch on the whiteboard as the no longer steady hand guiding it twitches violently. "…Because souls are compose of nothing but reishi."

"Why, thank you, Captain… I suppose…"

"I mean, fuck, even his waist is all thin and girly!! And look at those hands!!"

Said hands clench, long, artistic fingers making the walk crack and the marker shatter.

Rukia, who has been taking extensive notes, looks up with a worried face, though guilty amusement burns in her eyes. Beside her, Orihime nearly has her whole hand shoved into her mouth to muffle her giggles.

"And just _look_ at that _as_—"

"Alright, you uncouth, vile cretins, we all get it!" Szayel roars, spinning around and looking at the troublemakers in his glass with a sadistic gleam in his eyes and a wide, strained grin splitting his face, "Yes, I am effeminate!! Now, shut your disease-ridden oral cavities before you become part of today's lesson pla—"

Abruptly, a long, lithe arm latches onto Szayel's waist and his mate sets her chin on his shoulder, ignoring the look he gives her as she grins at the class, "Yeah, ya know what? My bitch is fuckin' girly, ain't he? However, while I may top when I tap this ass every night, I assure you…" She slaps Szayel's hip loudly, "I'm the one who receives, and he is always quite _generous_… Now, Szayel, get in your seat."

Szayel stumbles forward as he's pushed, barely managing to grab a desk and swing himself into a chair as Aporro takes his place and pulls out a collapsible silver pointer, elongates it and makes the entire class jump when she slaps the whiteboard with it.

Aporro grins sadistically, "Alright, bitches, today we're gonna learn about sex…"

…_Then again, Aporro really isn't much better, is she?_


	16. Modified Green Fairy

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"I'm relieved I had the foresight to plan for your rude and abrupt arrival." Byakuya said icily to Aporro, his eyes narrowing slightly when she gave him a muggy look, "Had I not, you would not have had an invitation waiting."

"And I _appreciate_ that so _much_, Byakuya." Aporro drawled with a slight slur, waving said pristine and rather fancy-looking invitation with one hand, smirking and skillfully cradling her saucer of sake with the other, "I really do."

Vicenta winced at the twitch that the Sixth Division Captain's eye performed when the pink-haired Arrancar shrugged her silk-covered shoulder at him and tipped a bit of sake from her saucer into her mouth, simply letting it drizzle over her tongue and down her throat.

Beside Aporro, Szayel sighed and growled, "Aporro—" Before he could get any further, his mate turned to him and grabbed his jaw.

"Drink and chill." Aporro cooed, smirking as she poured a bit of alcohol through Szayel's lips.

Szayel made a face but swallowed, jerking her hand away and narrowing his eyes at her dangerously, "Aporro, you are going to pay for this. _Dearly_."

"I know, I know." Aporro waved him off flippantly, "Just be sure to warn be before you drug me with whatever anesthetic you plan on using, alright? I hate randomly waking up on the operating table…" She then looked at her now empty saucer and pouted.

"Ah," Shunsui leaned forward, holding up the sake container, "Here—"

"No, no." Mayuri interceded suddenly, leaning forward and reaching into his sleeve, "Allow _me_."

Interest and suspicion automatically peaked as attention turned to Aporro and Mayuri, the former quirking a brow at him and the latter giving his usual, wide and toothy grin.

"Kurotsuchi…" Szayel sneered, glaring at the scientist coldly and letting his reiatsu spike, "What are you playing a—"

"No, Szayel."

Szayel twitched, glancing at his mate with a deep frown.

Aporro glanced at him and smiled, then looked back at Mayuri and shrugged, "Let him. I mean, come on, we're all on the same side now, right…?" She leaned forward, offering her saucer with a dark grin, "We should _trust_ one another."

Vicenta lost all feeling in her legs as she swallowed.

It was no small secret that Aporro and Kurotsuchi held something of an animosity towards one another, one that had nothing to do how the shinigami felt about the female Arrancar's mate.

No, these emotions were between them and them alone, and they stemmed from the fact that, despite Mayuri knowing full well when Aporro and he had fought during the Winter War those decades ago that she wasn't an Arrancar, he had allowed her to suffer though his Superhuman Drug for the sake of his research.

While Aporro, at the time, had been able to justify it as an effect of the war, now that she was an Arrancar and naturally livid over such things she allowed herself to harbor a festering hatred towards the scientist.

She was clearly challenging him, everyone at the blanket could see that.

If, after drinking whatever Mayuri was going to offer her, something bad happened to Aporro, the captain would be facing quite an ordeal, as the treaty was still tender and new and any negative actions from either side would be met with _severe_ ramifications.

A double-edged trap, yes, but they were really the only kinds Aporro was _good_ at.

Still, despite the obvious challenge, Mayuri's grin only widened at her and he pulled a long, thick-glassed bottle out of his sleeve, uncorking it and reaching across to pour it into her saucer.

Aporro blinked, her animosity fleeing in an instant as she tilted her head curiously and watched as a green liquid poured out of the dark neck of the bottle, swirling around in her saucer before settling.

"I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to mix your liquors…" Aporro mumbled, smelling the liquid before flicking her wrist and spinning it around a bit.

"You've hardly had enough sake to worry about something as trivial as _that_." Mayuri dismissed her statement with a more than slightly flippant wave.

Aporro snorted at him, then pressed the rim of the saucer to her lips and took a sip.

Szayel watched her closely, his eyes flickering from the sclera of her eyes to her throat to her temples to her hands and then back to her eyes to start all over, looking for the beginning signs of any sort of toxin or poison.

When his mate's eyes widened and she started coughing, Szayel's hand automatically flew to the hilt of Fornicaras and he glared at Mayuri, seconds away from lunging at him when—

"Son of a _bitch_, Mayuri!" Aporro barked hoarsely, grinning at him, "What the hell is this?!"

"I suppose you could call it a… 'family' recipe." The scientist answered with a grin.

Aporro laughed loudly, holding out her saucer again, "Whatever it is, I'm gonna need more of it."

"I thought you'd never ask." Mayuri purred, pulling a short tumbler out of his sleeve and filling it halfway with the green concoction.

Aporro took it quickly when he handed it to her and downed it like a shot.

Szayel watched silently, still glaring at Mayuri.

Vicenta, still by Shunsui, watched nervously as the others around her did, wondering just what in the _hell_ her new lab partner was playing at…

And as she wondered, her mother downed another mouthful of the Twelfth Division Captain's odd concoction.

* * *

"Oooooooohh… Froggie went a-courtin', and he did ride, uh-huh. Uh-huh." Aporro slumped against Mayuri's arm, grinning, "Froggie went a-courtin' and he did ride, uh-huh. Uh-huh. Froggie went a-courtin' and he did ride, sword and pistol by his side, froggie went a-courtin and he did ride, Uh-Huh!"

No longer grinning, Mayuri stared down at the now too-friendly Arrancar, his lips actually meeting in a thin line.

Still, regardless of his obvious disdain for the situation, whenever her glass was close to being empty he'd 'kindly' refill it for her.

And though Szayel wanted to find out _why_ (he really did), someone (he vaguely suspected Kyoraku) had slipped a cup of sake into his hand at one point or another, and he really didn't trust his limbs at the moment.

So, all he could do was sit where he was, his shoulders admittedly slouched more than he would have liked for his perception of posture, and watch how Mayuri acted around his mate like a hawk, making sure he wasn't trying anything.

At Mayuri's side, Aporro was still leaning against the scientist's arm, her head pleasantly buzzing, her limbs nice and warm and her hand wrapped around her glass limply.

"Hey, M'yuri…" She mumbled suddenly, ignoring him when he insisted on '_Captain_ Kurotsuchi…!' and tipping her head back, ignoring it when her muscles refused to support her head and her chin went back a bit too far, "What _is_ the con… the condensation o' this liquor…?"

"Concentration." The shinigami absentmindedly corrected, glancing down at her, "Sixty-six point six nine percent."

"Hah!" Aporro laughed, grinning, "Nice." She polished off her glass, then held it out for more.

"_Regrettably_," Mayuri said, his grin returning as he showed her the bottle and shook it back and forth, "I'm all out."

Aporro whined loudly, her head lolling back further than before until she was slumped across Mayuri's lap, "Noooooo…!!"

Barely hold back a sneer of disgust and a violent push that would send her halfway across the courtyard, the captain tilted his head and grinned down at her, "I do have more, though. Back in my laboratory…"

"Well, al-fuckin'-right!" Aporro dropped her glass and brought her legs up, rolling her spine and jumping onto her feet, "Let's get goin'!"

Vicenta, still watching from the side of a now pleasantly buzzed and flushed Shunsui, quirked a brow, again wondered what Mayuri was planning.

"Ah… Aporro…" Aporro looked at Szayel, blinking and smirking at his flushed face and glazed eyes, "I don't want you to… That isn't… a good…"

Her smirk widening to a grin, Aporro leaned over and grabbed the back of his head, breathing against his mouth, "You're just too fuckin' sexy when you're drunk." She then kissed him briefly before pushing him flat on his back, walking over him and away with a wave, "Honestly, with all the shit you make and drink, one would think ya'd be able ta handle a bit o' sake…"

Vicenta watched after her mother as she stumbled away, tensing and moving to follow when—

A thick, well-muscled arm slipped around her waist, something smooth and sharp brushed her left cheek and someone growled next to her ear, "Hey, sexy…"

Vicenta shuddered and leaned back against the barely covered chest that waited for her, blue hair tickling her neck when the person's mouth moved down to bite on her shoulder.

* * *

"Ya know…" Aporro slurred, hooking her arm through Mayuri's and leaning against him so she could walk without running into any more walls… or people, "For a creepy, shmarmy, shic… no, sick person, yer really, _really_ warm."

Mayuri grunted, letting her maintain contact if only so she would feel comfortable and so he could lead her. She was fairly drunk, but he had a sneaking suspicion that drunk Aporro was more dangerous than sober Aporro.

"Really warm…" Aporro mumbled, nuzzling his shoulder before pausing, "Slowly getting warmer… way warmer… too warm." She was about to pull away when Mayuri's 'warmth' went back down to a comfortable level and she smiled, leaning against him again. "And now you're a nice warm again…"

Mayuri grunted again, absentmindedly checking the temperature of his body. Thirty-seven degrees Celsius… and he was 'warm'? She must be slightly cold-blooded, as her zanpakuto would suggest.

Though he supposed the fact that it was only two hours to midnight hardly helped the temperature of the air.

Still, he'd have to remember her preferences for if he needed to… '_call_' on her '_help_' again.

"'re we there yet?!" Aporro whined, jabbing her finger into his side and making the scientist absently smack the back of her head.

"Not yet!" Mayuri snapped, consciously smacking the back of her head again for good measure, "Now shut up!"

Lightheaded and feeling a bit sick from all of the smacking, Aporro did just that, leaning against him and shutting her mouth. It never crossed her mind to get angry at him for hitting her… She was too busy trying to figure out why it felt like she was on a spin cycle.

The spinning was just escalating when she was suddenly pushed into a chair, Mayuri's hands planting themselves on her shoulders to keep her upright when she swayed.

Aporro blinked slowly and looked up, frowning slightly at the screen in front of her, "…Thassa big-ass computer…" Her head tipped back even more when she saw the bronze organ pipes rising out of the back, amber eyes widening, "Holy freakin' shit…"

"Yes, yes, yes…" Mayuri mumbled, leaning forward and grabbing her wrists to lift her hands and set them on they organ keys, "Now, I need you to access the Perfect Being's computer network…"

"…Why?" Aporro asked numbly, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

"So you can have more liquor."

That worked.

Aporro opened her eyes again and looked at the screen, pouting. The gears were clearly turning in her head as Mayuri directed her fingers to press the initial keys, and once they reached a certain point she grumbled and shook him off.

"No, no, don't do it _that_ way…"

Mayuri immediately pulled back and stared down at her, scowling, "It's the only way _in_, Doppelganger."

"Nah-ah, nah-ah, you don' wanna go through all of tha' looping security bullcrap…" Aporro growled, looking down at the computer and pouting as she hit a few keys slowly, "T' get in quickly, y' gotta take the _backdoor_…"

Mayuri froze, watching with eager anticipation.

A backdoor program? And the woman not only _knew_ of it, but knew how to _access_ it? This was far more than he'd hoped for…

Of course, he knew there had to be one, but he had summated that, at the most, the woman would have been the unknowing vessel of the password; that perhaps Szayel had given her a seemingly ridiculous riddle or phrase to associate with the El Sanctuario network.

But the fact that she consciously knew of it certainly saved him time…

Though it did instill doubt…

What if the woman's knowledge of the 'backdoor' was a plant? A red herring? A falsified trap that would alert the entire system should she try to use it?

Still… even if it were, he had to watch her to see how she accessed this 'backdoor'; in the event that it was a trap, he would at least have a general idea of what to look for in his next attempt.

"See…" Aporro mumbled, forefingers still pecking away at the keys, "Right about when you get to the third tier… there's a hidden program you can run… Ya gotta know it's there in order to run it…. oth'rwise ye'll blow right past it and it… becomes useless…" A bit more frowning, pecking and glaring at the screen, and then Aporro's face lit up, "Ah!"

Immediately, Mayuri pulled a tube out of his pocket and uncorked it, prying her mouth open while tipping her head back to make her drink the contents.

Aporro choked and gasped as she fell, writhing on the floor, but the shinigami ignored her and took her seat, his eyes flickering back and forth and his fingers flying across the organ manuals as he skimmed the pages and pages of plaintext that loaded before his eyes.

Tears poured out of Aporro's eyes as she hacked and wheezed, watching him as she became sober frighteningly quick and the world inverted, and suddenly things seemed to be happening scene by scene and in black and white negative, like a 35 mm filmstrip.

Feeling herself getting sick, and fast, Aporro closed her eyes and curled in tightly on herself beside Mayuri's feet, letting the world narrow… narrow… narrow… until…

All there was to be perceived was the sound of the shinigami Captain's fingers flying across his keyboard.

* * *

"Uuuugh…" Aporro peeled open her burning eyes, wrinkling her nose and smacking her lips and tongue to try to get rid of the stale, metallic taste in her mouth.

Odd… she didn't remember going to bed…

And, yet, even as she moved, fairly stiff but clean sheets played against her body, her palms sinking into a sheeted mattress as she rolled onto her stomach and tried to push herself up. Clearly, a western-style bed…

Son of a _bitch_, Kurotsuchi had some good shit! She didn't even remember passing out!!

…Then again, she also didn't remember much of anything after that first shot.

Aporro had a feeling she should be vaguely concerned about waking up in a bed she didn't recognize (and she certainly _did not_ recognize this one; hers and Szayel's was a helluva lot softer), but she couldn't quite bring herself to worry… After all, the last time she'd passed out in the Seireitei, she'd woken up in much the same condition she was in now, only she'd been at Jushiro's estate, Ugendo.

So, if only for the moment, she was far less worried about where she was and more focused on how her head felt like it had an awl going through it every time she turned it.

Suddenly, someone moved beside her and Aporro groaned, flopping back down and scooting close. Really, she figured there was only one person she'd be sleeping next to…

"Remind me to plant a cherry bomb in Kurotsuchi's toilet…"

"Humph. And here I was under the impression that you approved of my liquor…"

Aporro froze, her eyes snapping wide open and slowly wandering over to her left as she pushed herself up slightly.

A face with unexpectedly medium-toned skin, void of its usual makeup, faced the ceiling, golden eyes swiveled to meet hers and lips curled in a sneer, "Why are you still here?"

After taking the moment to make sure she'd identified the voice correctly, Aporro screamed and jerked back, falling out of the bed and taking the sheets with her.

The startlingly un-makeup-ed man peered down at her from over the mattress, quirking a short brow, "And here my hypothesis stood with you as a _masculine_ screamer… Huh, you actually resemble your gender in some minute way."

Aporro's eyebrow twitched, her gaze locking onto his shoulder. He was wearing his shihakusho… She glanced down at herself. She was wearing a shihakusho…

…Wait, she was wearing a shihakusho?

What in the…

"Your kimono is exactly where you decided to leave it; the next time you go streaking through my lab, I won't be so lenient."

…What in the…?

"And I want my uniform back before you leave."

…What in the…?!

"And I want my probe back from wherever you shoved it."

"…WHAT THE _FUCK_?!"

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

What Aporro Fears…

"I feel them everywhere I go…" Aporro mutters, hugging her arms to her stomach tightly and looking around with panicked amber eyes, "Eyes… eyes watching me… Always watching! I can't get away from them! They're in my bedroom, in my bathroom… In the dining hall, in Szayel's lab… They follow me and they _giggle_…" She whimpers, covering her head, "I… I'm ashamed…"

"That's perfectly fine, dear." Retsu Unohana smiles, reaching out and stroking Aporro's back, "Remember, all of these meetings are confidential…"

"Still… to think I have to go to a support group…" Aporro hiccups past the tears, then looks up at Byakuya and smiles slightly, "Though, knowing that even you have to come to one of these does make me feel a bit better."

Byakuya twitches slightly but says nothing.

Retsu just keeps smiling, "That's why they're called 'support' groups, dear. Now…" She clasped her hands and stared at Aporro with a critical eye, "These eyes… how long have they been following you?"

"F-For a few months, now…" Aporro mutters, "I mean, I've been getting weird feelings every since the pseudo senkaimon were set up to allow shinigami and Arrancar to wander back and forth between worlds, but it's intensified a lot recently…" She hiccupped and lowered her head again, sobbing, "I… I… I feel so _violated_!!"

Nodding in understanding, Soifon reaches out and sets a comforting hand on her shoulder, "That tends to happen with stalkers; the initial contact sparks the interest and that festers for a while before the intense _need_ to follow sets in…"

"Che." Renji rolls his eyes, muttering lowly, "_You'd_ know…"

Soifon twitches, throwing him a dark look, "What was that, _Lieutenant_ Abarai?"

Renji swallows, "N-Nothing, Captain…"

"Now, now," Retsu gives her scary smile of 'stop-it-or-you're-fucked' before she calms again, "Remember, no one is allowed to pull rank…" When Aporro stiffens and starts hyperventilating, the captain looks at her with a soft, worried frown, "Aporro…?"

"They're _baaaaaaack_…" Aporro whines, curling up and covering her head.

The others in the room look at her sympathetically, then tense simultaneously.

"We can feel your presence." Byakuya uses his chilly voice as he glares at the wall, "Come out."

The painting of a bowl of fruit he was glaring at swings open slowly, eerily…

Aporro wails softly and shrinks back in her chair…

…And a small, energetic ball of black and pink shoots out from the tunnel behind the painting, flying across the room and latching onto Byakuya.

"Hey, Byakushi, guess what?! I found a whole new place to make tunnels!"

Byakuya blinks, then sighs and looks at Aporro, who had screamed and shot out of her chair the moment Yachiru had launched herself from the tunnel, "Miss Aporro, you have earned my sympathy and respect for your troubles and willpower."

…Somehow, Aporro doesn't feel better.


	17. Vicenta : Abducted

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Vicenta looked up from her workstation, quirking a brow at the doorway when a ranting and raving Aporro (in an oversized shinigami shihakusho) stormed by, her face purple and her arms waving as she used them to emphasize whatever she was screaming (again, she had gotten herself so angry she wasn't speaking in any discernable language).

Vicenta's brow went up even higher when, not long after, Mayuri stormed after the woman, his teeth bared (as always) in a sneer and his eyes half-lidded in his annoyance as he demanded the return of his shihakusho.

Though their arguing remained, the two were quickly gone, headed for the exit, and the young Arrancar turned back to her experiment and continued working, not even _wanting_ to know.

No matter how bad the situation would have looked to an outsider, Vicenta knew her parents and the members of the Twelfth Division were… odd…

So whatever was going on, as long as no one was trying to kill anyone they were fine.

When the yelling ended soon after with a loud slam of a door, Vicenta was able to focus on her work. She had to finish early today so she could go to the Eleventh Division and make sure Grimmjow and Ichigo hadn't killed each other… or anyone else.

Before she was even close to wrapping up, though, a shadow fell over the papers she was writing on, a white painted hand invading her vision and offering her handheld.

Glancing up, Vicenta quirked a brow and took her handheld slowly, "Why was my mother here?"

"I was doing what you couldn't." Mayuri answered smugly, "My network is now patched in with yours."

Vicenta stared up at him, then turned to her handheld and turned it on, grinning widely when it booted and she saw the signal strength bars were filled, "You actually did it…"

"Of course I did!" Mayuri snapped, smacking the top of her head, "Now, find out why your parents didn't want you accessing your computers!"

Snorting and rolling her eyes, Vicenta turned back to her handheld and turned the screen on, tapping around and chewing at her lip excitedly. She hadn't been able to look at her computer for the last few _days_ and it felt like a piece of her was slowly but surely dyi—

"Let's go."

Mayuri blinked when the girl was standing in a flash, her hand clamped around his wrist until the bones inside ground against one another and her feet moving so quickly she was nearly using sonido.

Still, the scientist was more interested in what she had found than how rude she was being, and was extremely curious about her distress, so he allowed her to drag him along, not even having to throw a glance at Nemu when they passed her for his daughter to get the idea that she needed to follow.

"Where are we going, Spawn?" Mayuri asked smoothly when she dragged him into the back laboratories, an area where no immediate experiments were in the process of being analyzed and thus was less populated.

"You have one of the older pseudo-garganta here, right?" Vicenta asked, her voice several octaves higher than usual and breaking slightly, "We need to use one to get back to my labs. Right now."

"Oh…?" Mayuri couldn't help smirking.

The girl's shoulders were tense and trembling, her strides were short, her words were clipped and her handheld was shaking so intensely in her grasp he could no longer read the lettering.

She was displaying all of the classic signs of stress, and the Captain was having to restrain himself from poking and prodding at her until she cried, from mentally torturing her until she collapsed, from giving her such a good and thorough mind-fuck that her spirit broke and she—

Forcing himself to stop the thoughts there, the Captain stood aside impassively and watched as she, when she'd finally found one of the pseudo-garganta, started to charge it. If he kept thinking about it, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from abducting her for a bit of healthy, stress-relieving torture…

"Tell me, Spawn, why is it that I need to come with you?"

"Because," Vicenta glanced at him as the pseudo-garganta tore open, the black and grey void swirling behind her ominously, "Vasto Lorde's are fucking with one of my projects, and this is your chance to gather a few for experimentation."

Nothing more needed to be said.

* * *

Dual serpentine tails flicked through the air, thick scales doing nothing to belie the long, sinewy muscles underneath as they stretched, relaxed and rippled. The individual plate scales glistened in the perpetual moonlight, some white, some red (with the latter being localized into perfectly straight, dual patterns down the centers of both tails), and all of them endlessly slick and cool.

After a bit, the two tails slumped across the lap of a form with milky white legs, skin smooth and bare of hair, which were thicker towards the hips but tapered off delicately at the ankles, ending in average-sized but strong feet.

The torso all of these limbs were attached to had a slender but strong waist and a thick, supple chest, breasts concealed by thick, sharp and threatening slabs of bone, which were currently covered by to long, delicate-looking arms.

Marccia Bones reclined in a seat of stone, a rock that had had a grooved hollowed out for her by the Adjuchas that followed her, her legs crossed at the knees and her arms resting against her bone-covered breasts.

Despite the breeze, her red hair rested over one shoulder as solidly as the stone she sat on, far too thick and tangled to be disturbed by something so small as a breeze.

Her bored, dull golden gaze was settled off into the distance, observing nothing but aware of anything that was possibly of interest.

Absentmindedly, she uncrossed one of her arms and lowered her long-nailed finger to her stomach, tracing the rim of the Hollow hole that rested just below her navel and obliterated the area where her womb would have been.

"Sparrow, have there been any movements from the Broken One's compound?" The Vasto Lorde asked dully after a moment.

"No." Vaida answered in a low mumble from her place, knelt on one knee by Marccia's feet and not moving.

Because the only form of clothing she wore was the short piece of fabric she had tied around her waist like a skirt, the cuts, gashes, bruises and opens sores she'd earned during her time 'working' with Marccia were all the more obvious, and all the more open to the elements.

None of them were anywhere near healing, some weren't even scabbing over anymore, and quite a few of them were red and green at the edges from infection.

It wasn't possible anymore for her to make excuses every time she went back to Gillo, but fortunately she didn't need to; he no longer asked.

Though the first time she'd gone back to him injured (sporting a severe, hand-shaped bruise on her neck) his eyes had flashed and he'd nearly flashed off without an explanation, she'd gone to go after him and had ended up collapsing. Gillo, though still infuriated, had been distracted and hadn't gone to wherever he planned on going, staying with her instead as she passed out and even remaining until she'd woken again.

Things had been okay after that… Until she'd come back wearing her first gash, one that went across her back and had actually nicked her mask a bit. Gillo _had_ disappeared after that, and when he came back he was covered in blood and still silently fuming. He'd refused to say where he'd gone, and after that it had gotten incredibly uncomfortable to be around him.

…Now that Vaida had nowhere safe to go anymore, she was spending more and more time around Marccia, slowly losing control of the situation she had originally handled on her own with the Arrancar and gradually becoming nothing more than a grunt and stress toy for Marccia.

She was breaking.

The little Vasto Lorde didn't want to admit it, but she knew she was breaking, and soon Marccia would have complete and total control over her.

Vaida was starting to fear she would even revert back to an Adjuchas, though she wasn't entirely sure if it was actually possible like it was from Adjuchas to Gillian…

She was scared. Scared and slowly, but surely, dying.

Even so, though, Marccia wasn't done with her yet…

"And you're sure you planted one of the balls _directly_ in front of their little rat hole?" The stronger Vasto Lorde drawled, glancing down at Vaida with a sharp eye.

Vaida nodded, unable to contain a wince when the movement sent sharp pains through her swollen neck and face.

"Good, good…" Marccia reached out smoothly, her hand wrapping around the smaller and weaker Vasto Lorde's neck, fingers settling into the well-worn grooves in Vaida's skin, and pulled her up and close, smiling down at her sharply, "Because if you didn't, you know what happens, correct…?"

"O-Of course…" Vaida rasped, going limp and not even bothering to fight, "You've made that abundantly clear so many times over…"

A flash, nothing, and then pain and Vaida was flat on her back, staring at the moon listlessly as the flesh on her stomach, just below her Hollow hole, split in a new wound that bled fresh, clean but vital blood out of a body that was already nearly vacant of the substance.

She couldn't even muster the strength to hold back a whimper…

"I would watch your tongue, Sparrow." Marccia purred, leaning back in her seat, "I'd hate to have to deliver your ashes to Gillo…"

Vaida whimpered again, closing he eyes. She couldn't… she couldn't… she wouldn't let Gillo down like that. Not before proving she was more than a burden…

Suddenly, Marccia tensed and her reiatsu spiked, making Vaida choke on a groan.

"There's movement from the compound… Go, Sparrow, and watch them. Report what you see when you have enough information."

Vaida rolled onto her stomach, weakly pushing herself onto her hands and knees before disappearing, small bits of sand swirling in her wake.

Marccia stared after her, then glanced over as a new figure approached and smiled, quirking a brow, "Here for another 'talk', Gillo? You know what Daramos would have to say about that…"

Gillo's dark amber eyes narrowed and he walked over with heavy footsteps, "I know, Marccia, I know. For now, we'll just keep this brief and stick to talking…"

Marccia grinned and leaned against her hand. She just loved it when such a stubborn old dog was muzzled…

* * *

Vicenta was well beyond being infuriated even before she'd set foot back within the halls of El Sanctuario, but when she walked out onto the sands of Hueco Mundo, her anger reached entirely new heights and her reiatsu spiked sharply.

There, right in front of the entrance/exit, was the hulking black form of one of her observer pods.

Again, another one of her spheres had fallen from the sky.

But this was no accident; it was deliberate. An insult. And if the fact that it was laid out directly in front of their home wasn't any indication of that, the fact that it was rent clean in half was.

Vicenta stood on the edge of the tear in the metal, reaching out and grabbing the two halves with both hands and squeezing until the metal dented around her fingers. She stared off at the narrow view of the desert from between the two halves, her eyes narrowed and her jaw working back and forth.

Behind her, Mayuri made it a point of sighing loudly, "Well, it would appear as though the safety that came with the ambiguity of your undisclosed location has been breeched."

"Master Mayuri, Szayel Aporro and Aporro should be told about thi—"

SLAP.

"They already know, you stupid girl! Otherwise they wouldn't have been working so actively hard to keep us out of their network!"

Vicenta was hardly listening.

Out on the slice of the horizon the two halves of her camera pod had framed for her, a small form suddenly flickered into being. She couldn't made out any distinct features other than the presence of skeletal wings, but Vicenta knew this being was looking _right at them_…

Before Nemu could suggest going inside, Vicenta was rocketing forward. The two halves of her camera shot apart at the delayed sonic boom she created, and soon her form was nothing but a dot on the horizon, chasing the perpetrator.

Mayuri sighed in annoyance, then took off after her, Nemu following close behind.

At least the hot-blooded brat had remembered to grab her zanpakuto…

* * *

As they made their slow way back to The Sanctuary, too spent to use sonido/shunpo, Mayuri kept his intensely focused and livid gaze on Vicenta, too annoyed to care that it was scientifically impossible to burn holes into the side of her head with his eyes alone (though he did make a mental note to overcome _that_ little speed bump when he was back in his own labs).

"Well?" He hissed, finally breaking the two-hour-long silence, "Are you _satisfied_, Spawn?"

"Hardly!" Vicenta spat back, glaring ahead, "The bitch got away!!"

"Of course it got away!" Mayuri snapped, "It had a mile and a half lead on us!"

"Us?!" Vicenta stopped and spin on her heel towards him, glaring, "You're pissed because you're stuck walking back with me?! Then you should have _stayed the fuck behind_!!"

"And how do you propose I get a decent Vasto Lorde subject if I just sit back and let you go gung-ho?!" Mayuri turned towards her, as well, marching over to her and waving his arms angrily, "You should have _waited_!! We could have formulated a _plan of action_!! But _no_!! You had to choose the most inopportune moment to emulate that moronic matriarch of yours!!"

"Leave my mother out of this, Kurotsuchi!" Vicenta snarled, narrowing her eyes at him angrily.

"Bah, why shouldn't I use her as an example?!" Mayuri turned his head away, scowling and flicking his wrist dismissively, "She's the epitome of single-minded, anger-prone stupidity, the bouts of which I have found you to be quite susceptible to! Clearly, you are her daughter!"

"Of _course_ I am her daughter." Vicenta hissed venomously, clenching her hands tightly around the hilt of Gavilan Pintado, "And if you have a problem with that, then perhaps this partnership won't work as swimmingly as we originally thought."

"Perhaps it won't." Mayuri agreed smoothly, his face void of all emotions.

Nemu watched emotionlessly as the two scientists faced back in the direction of El Sanctuario and continued walking.

Ah, a lover's spat… or, at least, as close to one as her father would ever get. Well, at least some aspects of his life were perfectly normal, even if the situations they occurred in were more than slightly abnormal…

The three walked along in utter silence, not even the sounds of the world around them pervading their little bubble of anger and bitterness.

Vicenta was just stealing a covert glare at Mayuri when she noticed something…

Her eyes widened and panic instantly gripped her chest.

The sand on the other side of the Captain seemed to swirl in slow motion, a long, bony arm with green-grey skin stretched tightly over the bone reaching up towards the sky before turning and descending on him quickly.

Without thinking about it, Vicenta turned and threw herself at the shinigami, barreling into his waist and tossing him aside.

Mayuri stumbled, then stood straight and brushed himself off, turning to bellow at the young Arrancar before freezing and watching as a large hand grabbed onto her and dragged her down beneath the sand.

Nemu was saying something to him… he was sure…

But he couldn't hear her.

After spending a good ten minutes staring at where the young Arrancar had disappeared, Mayuri faced ahead again and continued walking back towards El Sanctuario, completely deadpanned and never breaking stride.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Popular Arrancar Calendar…

"Can I just say, once again, that I am simply sho—"

"No, Illforte, you can't say how fuckin' shocked you are to be included." Grimmjow grumbles, glaring at his former Fraccion heavily, "Honestly, you're nearly as fuckin' narcissistic as your brother sometimes…"

"Alright, gentlemen, alright, no fighting and off with your shirts!" Rangiku Matsumoto calls out to the Arrancar men in front of her, cutting off Illforte's angry comeback and clapping her hands loudly to get their attention, "This is the first time the Shinigami Women's Association has gotten such positive requests for a calendar and we want to get this done right!"

"That is quite right." Nanao Ise agrees, adjusting her glasses with her pen before tapping her clipboard impatiently, "The first group is with Mr. Jaegerjaquez and Mr. …Will someone please wake Mr. Stark?!"

"Hey! Coyote!! Wake up, ya fuckin' narcoleptic!" Grimmjow barks, kicking Stark in the head.

Stark grumbles and snorts, waking up slightly before dropping back down onto the table he's sprawled out across and going back to sleep.

"…Actually…" Rangiku mumbles, a sly grin forming on her face, "That pose is _perfect_!! Someone pull off his jacket partway, ruffle his hair and spread his legs a little more! Oh, and pull down his pants a bit to show off the tops of his hip bones!"

"Okay, I am _so_ not being involved in that picture!" Grimmjow barks, jumping back.

"Fine by me!" Rangiku giggles, tiptoeing towards Stark and starting to 'sex him up'.

"I mean, I know I'm _gorgeous_ and all, bu—"

"Illforte, shut the fuck up!"

"Hey, I found Pinky-Pink!" Yachiru giggles, skipping into the room with her faithful Nemu in tow, who is dragging along a loudly protesting Aporro.

"For the last time, Lieutenant, I am _not_ Szayel!! Nemu, you can see that, right?!"

"I must follow orders." Nemu replies in monotone.

"Oooo, Ran is stripping Sleepy? Nemu, do that to Pinky-Pink, too!"

"Very well." Nemu turns on Aporro and grabs the collar of her double-breasted coat.

Aporro pales, "Nemu, plea—"

The sound of ripping fabric and popping buttons is quickly chased by whoops and hollers.

"NICE, Aporro, very nice!!"

"Go to hell, Jaegerjackass!"

"…Eh…? When in the hell did I get here…? And where did my pants go… …Aporro, why are you flashing everyone?"

"…When did Pinky-Pink turn into a girl…?"

"Not Szayel, damn it! Not Szayel!!"


	18. A Mother's Tears

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Before Mayuri even finished his explanation, Aporro was hyperventilating and trembling, her eyes wide and her reiatsu fluctuating wildly.

_Five darts._ Szayel counted, with a sigh as he slipped his tranquilizer gun back into his pocket, walking over to the prone form of his mate.

Five darts before he'd managed to sedate her. And she'd _still_ managed to make it halfway from his main lab to the front door of the compound.

And even _still_, in her medicated coma, the woman fought, muscles in her body twitching sporadically as Szayel picked her up and moved her to their room, her face scrunched up in pure, unadulterated anger and her limbs flailing on and off as she tried to fight him off and make it for the door.

Szayel could understand her fury.

He could also sympathize.

After all, Vicenta was his daughter, as well, and she'd apparently been abducted by Hollows, more than likely on the order of a Vasto Lorde.

Still, Szayel, as always, had to be calm enough for both of them, because as tempting as Aporro's method was, at the moment running off into the desert, Resurreccion forms blazing would do nothing to help.

Because they were being watched, he was sure of it.

They needed a _plan_.

They needed to contact the Seireitei and think up a _plan_.

Because this situation had just escalated beyond their control…

Before they contacted the Seireitei, though, it was necessary to first suffer a little blast from the past…

Leaving the two Kurotsuchi's in a room somewhere, Szayel went to his lab and called his Fraccion to him, giving them orders they hadn't heard in several hundred years.

Szayel ordered his Fraccion to go call the others for an Espada meeting.

* * *

Though even Szayel knew he was one for aesthetics, he had little to no idea why he'd designed the Espada meeting room in his compound to mirror the one back in Las Noches exactly.

Had he had an aneurism during the construction?

Had he been struck by a random fit of nostalgia?

Had he been preparing for the event that Aizen would have to take over his home away from home?

Or had it just been for giggles…?

…Whatever the reason, the room that had remained largely untouched since its construction suddenly found itself in use, the four remaining Espada assuming the seats that mirrored the ones they'd had back in Aizen's palace and taking several moments to sit in silence as memories assaulted them.

Grimmjow, as always, was the one who broke the silence.

"What the fuck do you want, Grantz?"

Szayel sighed, sitting up straight in his seat and glancing at Grimmjow calmly, "Vicenta has been abducted." Taking full advantage of the stunned silence that followed, Szayel immediately continued, "As you all know, Vicenta had a mapping project in play that involved ten large, spherical camera pods. Eight of those ten have been destroyed, and early yesterday, one was… 'returned' to us, split in half and sitting directly in front of the door."

Grimmjow listened in stunned silence, shockingly blue eyes wide and his mouth opened slightly. Halibel was focused on Szayel completely, and even Stark was awake and listening.

After a brief pause, Szayel went on, "Vicenta, who I have been trying to keep this knowledge from, found out with the assistance of Mayuri Kurotsuchi and came back to check on the status of her lab. After going outside to check on her pod, she saw what was, presumably, a Vasto Lorde, became enraged and took of after it. Captain Kurotsuchi and his Lieutenant followed her, they lost track of the Hollow, and on their way back Vicenta was grabbed by yet another Hollow and dragged down into the sand, presumably to the Forest of Menos."

"Then why are you still sitting here?" Surprisingly, it was Stark who spoke, his eyes narrowed.

"Because," Szayel sighed, clasping his hands in front of his face, "Over the last few days, several of Vicenta's other pods have been destroyed, as well, and it wasn't just one attacker; there were several of them, and most of them were Adjuchas. This suggests a planned attack by a Vasto Lorde."

"It's just one Vasto Lorde." Grimmjow growled, finding his voice and, with it, his anger, "We'll just slaughter it."

"It isn't that simple." Szayel shot him a look, "In the first attack, a footprint was left behind by a Vasto Lorde, if my analysis of what I saw in the recording was correct. After that, most of the remaining attacks were Adjuchas. The attack that landed the final pod in front of El Sanctuario was done by yet another Vasto Lorde, only this one was considerably smaller, weaker, and didn't have the same footprint as the first. This suggests a total of two, maybe even three Vasto Lordes." Szayel looked between his colleagues, "We're being targeted, and if we don't handle this carefully, the Vasto Lorde population could well unite against us and wipe us out."

Once again, the room was immersed in silence.

"…We need to contact the Captain-Commander." Halibel said firmly after several moments, "This isn't something we can handle on our own…"

"We'll also need to tell them to monitor garganta activity between Hueco Mundo and the World of the Living closer than they have been." Stark murmured, staring at the back of the empty chair that Zommari would have inhabited were he alive, "With the Vasto Lorde activity suddenly on the rise, we can't risk them getting to the humans."

"Several of our own pseudo-garganta and senkaimon will need to be temporarily suspended, as well." Szayel nodded, taking out his handheld and slipping the stylus out and scribbling away on the screen, "And our security will need to be strengthened, especially on the reiatsu sealants surrounding the compound… This means that any reishi-based techniques that we may have to use will be greatly weakened in and around the compound, so don't be surprised if it takes more energy than you expect to fire a cero."

"HEY!" Grimmjow summoned attention to himself as he slammed his hand down on the table and stood angrily, glaring at his fellow Espada, "_WHY_ is no one talking about Vicenta?! She's been _kidnapped_, or have you all forgotten?!"

"…Grimmjow," Halibel began calmly after a moment, glancing over at him and meeting his gaze coolly, "No one in this room has forgotten her, but measures _must_ be taken before _anyone_ can head out to search for her. If we handle this too carelessly, we put the lives of everyone in The Sanctuary at stake."

"WHAT THE FUCK DO THEY MATTER?!" Grimmjow burst, knocking his heavy stone chair over with a resounding crash and grabbing the hilt of Pantera.

A heavy silence settled over the room.

"…_You_, Grimmjow, are the one who continues so associate yourself with us three." Stark began after a moment, meeting the enraged former Sexta's gaze head on with a cold glare, "You know full well we have assumed the responsibilities of leading the Arrancar, and you continue to come to these meetings. That means you're, in part, a leader here, as well. Whether or not you like it, we have _responsibilities_. We cannot leave everything to Aporro, and when she is unavailable as she is now, _someone_ has to pick up the slack."

Grimmjow worked his jaw, his reiatsu making the air in the room heavy.

"Don't assume that you're the only one being affected by this, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez." Stark concluded, his eyes wandering over, "Because the father of the girl you're going on about is just two seats to your right."

Immediately, Grimmjow's eyes snapped over to Szayel and he paused.

The scientist was silent, still sitting down calmly and adding to the list he'd started on his handheld. If he felt Grimmjow looking at him, he didn't acknowledge it, though when the blue-haired Arrancar looked closer he could clearly see the tendons in the former Octava's neck standing out a bit more than usual against his skin-tight jacket.

Still livid but now quiet, Grimmjow righted his chair and sat back down, ignoring the small flecks of stone that showered down against his back from the cracked top of the stone seat.

"I'll send word immediately." Szayel said in a low voice after yet another stretch of silence, standing and slipping his handheld back into his pocket, "In the meantime, don't go outside, and keep your zanpakuto close. I'll keep you all informed." That said, he walked out of the room quickly, not looking back.

* * *

When Szayel made it back to his room, he jumped as his wrists were seized and he was slammed back roughly against the stone door, pain blooming against the back of his head.

Unwavering, he looked down and into the bloodshot eyes of his mate, saying nothing.

"Where," Aporro breathed, bearing her teeth and digging her fingernails into his wrists, "Is. She?"

"I don't know." The moment Szayel felt himself getting thrown aside, he braced his foot against the door and swung his shoulder back, wrapping his arm around Aporro's waist and flinging them both into the sitting area.

Aporro hissed when the back of her head hit the arm of the sofa, but she struggled to regain her footing and brought her knee up into Szayel's gut, "Let me go!"

"No." Szayel hissed venomously, bringing his knee up between her legs forcefully and spinning her around, pressing her face down into the seat cushion and using his body to pin her.

"SZAYEL APORRO, LET ME GO!!" Aporro roared, thrashing.

"No." Szayel hissed again, less venomously than before.

"SZAYEL, LET ME THE FUCK UP!" She kicked at his ankles and twisted her upper body back and forth when he grabbed her wrists and wrapped his arms around her, pinning her hands against her stomach, "I HAVE TO GO FIND HER!!"

"You know I can't let you do that, Aporro." Szayel growled in her ear, pressing down against her heavily and pressing her diaphragm roughly against the arm of the sofa, emptying her lungs so she couldn't scream.

When she exhaled more than he expected her to, though, he backed off, not wanting to hurt any of her internal organs.

As soon as Szayel pulled back slightly, though, Aporro inhaled sharply and brought her head back, smacking her skull into Szayel's mouth.

Szayel balked and stumbled back, the gloved hand he pressed to his mouth quickly getting soaked with blood. Before he could recover, a heavy force slammed into his stomach and sent him crashing back onto the hard stone floor, the back of his head meeting rock for the second time in two minutes and stars bursting before his eyes.

Scowling when he felt the weight on his chest scrambling off in the direction of the door, Szayel wrapped his legs around his mate's waist and swung them around again, grabbing her wrist and pinning her to the floor.

Aporro's eyes, her pupils narrowed to pinpricks and her amber irises standing out against her now red sclera, looked up at him unseeingly as her mouth opened and a ball of violet energy started to form, swirling around and quickly growing in size.

Szayel didn't flinch.

He stayed where he was and stared down into her eyes, daring her to fire.

Wetness gathered in the corners of Aporro's eyes and she shook violently underneath him, the cero finally stabilizing and waiting to be released.

Szayel still didn't move, continuing to stare down at her with a blank face.

Aporro let out a roar of anguish and closed her mouth, the cero winking out of existence as she swung her leg up and kicked his waist.

Szayel gave in and let her, staring up at Aporro when she pinned him and pointedly ignoring the scalding droplets that fell onto his face for the sake of not stressing his mate further.

"I'm going after her." Aporro barked hoarsely, her fingers digging into his upper arms and her body shaking.

"No, Aporro, you're not." Szayel countered easily, smoothly, his glasses flashing in the dim overhead light, "Not yet."

"I don't give a fuck about 'handling this properly'." Aporro snipped, going to stand, "We are not leaving he—"

Szayel quickly reached up and grabbed her waist with both hands, making her look back down at him, "You're staying, Aporro, until going out is safe."

She stared down at him for a moment, silent, her eyes searching his and her jaw working back and forth. When she didn't find what she wanted to see, her face scrunched up and her trembling got more and more violent as she built up the energy for a last-ditch effort.

Quickly, using sonido, Aporro flew off of him and flung herself towards the door, but before she could make it halfway Szayel wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her arms down at her sides as he pressed his weight against her back and brought her to her knees.

She thrashed and screamed.

She cursed him, his name and his existence, declaring over and over that she hated him.

She struggled until her limbs felt like lead, and then she struggled even harder while she still had the drive.

She called out.

She called for Vicenta to come out of wherever she was hiding, to end this cruel prank and show her that she was okay.

She cursed her daughter, and her daughter's name, and she told her she hated her over and over.

And then, for the first time in a long time, Aporro bent over on herself, until her chest touched her legs and her forehead rested against the stone floor, and she cried.

She shook violently and wailed, begging, pleading to be let go, because she had to find her. She had to find her baby and make sure she was okay.

When Szayel finally let her go so he could wrap his arms around her shoulders and pull her against his chest, she didn't fight. She collapsed against him and clung to his jacket, crying into his collar shamelessly.

Slowly, slowly, Aporro crumbled in on herself and broke, her lamentations reverberating against the stone and echoing throughout The Sanctuary until all was silent beyond the walls of the master bedroom.

And then, what seemed hours later, Aporro started to taper off.

Weak and shaking, her sobs reduced and the tears started to stem, while her head remained lowered and her back still heaved slightly.

Aporro's lungs and stomach burned with pain, other areas throbbing from the struggle and something wet (probably blood brought by Szayel's teeth) trickled down through the hair on the back of her head.

Listless and utterly defeated, Aporro slumped heavily against Szayel's lap, staring at the floor exhaustedly and struggling to breathe.

When Szayel, after several long moments, picked her up and carried her across the room, she didn't struggle. When he laid her out on the bed, the mattress sinking further when he settled down behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist, she didn't try to pull away from them.

She could only ask, "Why…?" Why wouldn't he let her go…?

"Because, Aporro." Szayel murmured, pushing her hair aside and pressing his mouth to the back of her shoulder, "We've been over this, so many times…" After a pause, he moved his mouth up to the exposed skin on the back of her neck, tracing along where skin met cloth collar, "You're mine. I decide when you die."

Aporro trembled and closed her eyes, grabbing his arm from around her waist and bringing it up so she could press her face into his palm.

Szayel sighed and let her, closing his eyes and feeling her scrunch up her face and let a few more tears leak out into his hand. Slowly, absentmindedly, he pressed his fingers to her forehead and weaved them through her hair slightly.

"Aporro, don't upset yourself like this… Vicenta isn't weak, and she isn't helpless. She has Gavilan Pintado with her."

"I know…" Aporro whispered loudly, holding his wrist and hand tightly, "But… Szayel… she's out there all alone… and I can't feel her. I can't feel my baby…"

"None of us can." Szayel sighed, pressing is forehead to the back of her head, "But don't forget, Aporro… she has one thing going for her. One exponential thing that will make whoever took her regret their decision so severely they may well return her to us, pleading for us to take her back…"

Aporro paused, waiting to see what he would say.

Szayel smirked.

"She's _your_ daughter."

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Catnip…!!

She _so_ should have tried this _years_ ago, Aporro decides with a giggle as she watches her pink and white tabby cat, Kohaku, roll around, purr loudly, crawl across the floor, and basically go bat-shit crazy over a hollow ball filled with catnip.

After another one of her many (and infamous), recent bouts of boredom, Aporro had decided to try to entertain herself with her cat, who she hadn't really been spending much time with thanks to his reclusive feline ways.

After tracking the elusive tabby down and bringing him back to her and Szayel's room, Aporro had locked him inside and run off to Szayel's indoor greenhouse, slipped skillfully past the genetically engineered gigantic Venus fly traps, slunk around to the back and picked several springs of genetically engineered _nepeta cataria_.

Or, as Aporro liked to call it, 'kitty cannabis'.

One modified toy and a bit of exposure later, and Kohaku was been reduced to a puddle of furry goo that wanted nothing more than to _immerse_ itself in its wonderful kitty crack.

And Aporro was happy to oblige, rubbing a few leaves between her hands before picking her cat up so she could pet him, grinning widely as he purred and nuzzled her hands and stomach.

Of course, she hasn't really yet considered what would happen if—

Suddenly, the door bursts open and Aporro looks up, blinking when she sees a flushing, wide-eyed and heavily panting Grimmjow in her doorway.

After a pause, Aporro quirks a brow, "Grimmjow?"

The former Sexta says nothing, just staring at her with dramatically widened pupils.

Suddenly, Grimmjow pounces, swiping Kohaku out of the way and pinning Aporro to the bed, where he abruptly starts to purr _loudly_ and nuzzle her hands and stomach.

"Ach, G-Grimmjow!! What the fuck are you—?! Ah… Ah, NO!! No, BAD Grimmjow!! S-Stop that right n—aah… Aaah…!!"

Szayel steps into the doorway of his room and freezes, watching as his daughter's mate molests his mate with a twitching eye.

Slowly, the former Octava's hand grabs the pale-lavender hilt of his zanpakuto, drawing the blade.

"Sip…!!"


	19. Gullibility

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

When Vicenta woke up, the first thing she did was bring both of her feet up and kick the person hovering over her square in their chin.

As the person let out a pained, gurgling groan, Vicenta flipped onto her stomach and jerked herself up into a kneeling position, scowling when she felt the tight bindings around her ankles and wrists.

Curling her hands in as much as she could, Vicenta clawed at the bindings that tied her wrists behind her back, cursing when she felt her gloves hinder her fingernails.

When the person she'd kicked grunted from right behind her, Vicenta scowled and flipped around, sitting on her butt so she could brace her hands against the cold, rough stone floor. Nearly bending her body past its limit, Vicenta yelled and snapped her legs up again, burying her feet in the person's body and pushing it away.

The form yelped and flew back, and as it did Vicenta groaned and allowed herself to go limp.

Her elbows had cracked unpleasantly at her move, and she felt so tired and gritty…

Vicenta flopped back, grunting when she hit a bumpy stone wall, and stared at the form she'd been struggling with, narrowing her eyes when it groaned and pushed itself up.

"D-Damn…" It grumbled, its voice that of a young girl, as it stood, a pair of skeletal wings on its back rattling like hollow sticks, "Did you _have_ to wake up fighting, you stupid heathen…?!"

"Fuck you." Vicenta snarled, watching as the person stepped into the light.

It was clearly a Vasto Lorde, and frankly Vicenta was surprised it was. It— or rather, 'she', was about a head shorter than Vicenta, her light brown hair chin-length and choppily cut. Defeated-looking bright golden eyes glared at Vicenta from beneath her fringe bangs, and her thin but wide mouth was curled in a scowl.

Vicenta scowled back, but didn't fail to notice the various lacerations, bruises and inflamed joints that she knew she _definitely_ didn't cause… Not that she cared. She was a bit more focused on a certain absent presence on her right hip.

"Where's Gavilan Pintado?" The young Arrancar growled at the young Vasto Lorde, her eyes darting back and forth.

The young Vasto Lorde frowned deeply, "'Gava'-what?"

"_Gavilan Pintado_!" Vicenta snapped, glaring at her, "My sword, you idiot! About thirty-nine centimeters of a shiny, shiny hard substance slipped into a hard case that keeps the sharp edges from cutting you!"

As Vicenta had spoken, the female Vasto Lorde's face had slowly contorted with rage, her cheeks turning red as she snapped, "I know what a sword is! I just didn't know yours had a name!"

Vicenta rolled her eyes, then snipped, "Why are you? Where am I? Why did you take me?"

"You talk too much." The Vasto Lorde grumbled, sitting down and crossing her legs.

Vicenta glared at her contemptuously, then swung herself up and tucked her legs under herself as she sat primly, holding her spine erect as she looked around.

They were in some large cave, the lighting extremely dim and pouring in in narrow slits from overhead.

When Vicenta thought back, she remembered being dragged down into the sand by a large hand, so…

…Was she in the lower layer of Hueco Mundo, the Forest of Menos?

"I thought the Forest of Menos was supposed to be a lot more… open." Vicenta mumbled, frowning.

"It is." Her Vasto Lorde captor mumbled back, "Out there."

Vicenta narrowed her eyes in irritation when the Hollow gave no indication as to which way 'out there' was.

Not that she could well leave without her zanpakuto, but she _had_ to secure certain bits of information to help herself.

Knowing her father, he would have done the _right_ thing and temporarily suspended the rights of everyone in the complex to leave, meaning that for the time being she was on her own. She had to find out everything she could…

"So, you're the one who controlled the black balls, huh?"

Vicenta glanced at the Vasto Lorde, quirking a brow. So, the Hollows didn't even know what the cameras were… "Yes, I am. I also designed them, built them and launched them."

The brunette looked at Vicenta and scowled, clearly trying to keep the slight awe off of her face but failing, "What were they for? Attacking?"

"Attacking?!" Vicenta scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Hardly! They were cameras!"

At that, the Vasto Lorde's face screwed up in confusion, "…What's a 'camera'?"

After staring at her for a moment to make sure the creature was actually _serious_, Vicenta sighed, "It's a device that can make a picture of a single moment in time or record images of what's going on in a certain area for a certain amount of time."

"…What would you make a bunch of cameras for?"

"None of your business!" Vicenta snapped, starting to find all of these questions from her captor irritating. Quickly, though, she managed to twist her lips into a smile and quirked a brow at the young Vasto Lorde when she turned her Hollow glare on her, "Unless, of course, you're up for a game of Quid Pro Quo…"

The young Vasto Lorde, whose attention had perked at 'game', frowned slightly at the Latin phrase, "…How do you play?"

"Easy." Vicenta shrugged, smiling disarmingly, "You ask me a question, I answer then ask you a question, you answer then ask me another question… And it keeps going back and forth like that."

"…That doesn't really sound fun." The young Vasto Lorde frowned, "You Broken Ones are really boring… and rude."

Vicenta glared at her flatly, her eyebrow twitching, "Ah, but we haven't even talked about the prize yet!"

"…Prize?"

"Why, yes! The prize!" Vicenta smiled, slightly giddy she'd reeled her back in and her mind working quickly so she could turn this creature's naivety to her advantage, "You see, Arrancar take Quid Pro Quo very seriously. Something of a tradition, actually… Whoever comes up with the most questions wins, and the prize is… a zanpakuto."

…Vicenta was really, _really_ hoping this girl was as stupid as she seemed.

Even as she thought this, the young Vasto Lorde stared at her with wide eyes, "So _that's_ how you guys get zanpakuto?! Jeez, and here Gillo had made it sound like some big atrocity!"

…Briefly, Vicenta wondered if she was really, _really_, even in just a small part, part Arrancar. Because there was _no way_ she had _ever_ been this stupid.

"Alright, so can I start?" The young Vasto Lorde asked, turning towards Vicenta and crossing her legs.

Vicenta nodded, "But of course."

"Okay…" The girl nodded, then asked, "What were the cameras for?"

"I was working on a map." Vicenta answered, then asked, "What is your name?"

"…Vaida." The young Vasto Lorde — Vaida — answered after a moment. She paused to think, then asked, "What's your name?"

Vicenta smiled slightly, her eyelids slipping down partway. This was going perfectly… "Vicenta Acere Grantz. Where are we?"

"One of the caves of Marccia Bones' Adjuchas, in the Forest of Menos." Vaida answered readily, clearly not suspecting a trap at all. Obviously, she was young… "What kind of Hollow were you before you were turned into a Broken One?"

"I was never a Hollow; I was born through biological reproduction." Vicenta answered, deliberately leaving her words ambiguous enough that she would leave the Vasto Lorde confused. "Who ordered you to attack my camera pods?"

"Marccia." Vaida was frowning in bewilderment, clearly still mulling over Vicenta's last answer, "Biological reproduction?"

"Sex. Who was the one who attacked the first camera pod that went down?"

"…" Here, Vaida paused, staring at Vicenta long and hard.

It was obvious she was thinking about not answering… Which was good. Vicenta was starting to wonder if she was dealing with a total idiot.

Still, she _needed_ this to work to her advantage… If she could, by any means, get this Vasto Lorde interested enough to go back to El Sanctuario, then she would possibly be captured and Szayel would _definitely_ be able to extract memories from her and track Vicenta down.

So, Vicenta gave Vaida her best, mildly impatient/irritated yet somewhat innocent look, as if she were waiting for the answer so they could get on with the game.

And when Vicenta could practically _see_ what Vaida was thinking in that moment, the words written all over her prepubescent face, she barely stopped herself from cracking a dark smile.

Because the question was going to be the overly-curious girl's undoing:

_What harm can a tied up Arrancar do?_

"His name… is Daramos."

* * *

"Well," Vicenta sighed heavily, leaning back against the wall she'd scooted over to during the game and making herself more comfortable, "It would appear as though you've bested me. I can't think of a single question more to ask…"

"Really?!" Vaida grinned.

Vicenta had seen her plan actually working, the doubt fleeing the young Vasto Lorde's face the more questions were asked and the more curiosity seeped in, and it slowly got to the point where it seemed Vaida was actually looking forward to her 'prize'.

And now, after a few hours of exchanging questions and several frightening points where it seemed the game would end prematurely, and in Vicenta's favor, when Vaida would fall silent for five, ten, fifteen minutes at a time thinking of a new question, Vaida's curiosity had finally peeked and Vicenta had chosen to end the game.

Now all she had to do was see if the young Vasto Lorde would really become completely ensnared…

"Yep." Vicenta nodded, "And, as the rules dictate, you get a zanpakuto."

"So, what, do I inherit yours?" Vaida asked with a confident smirk.

"Pfft, hardly." Vicenta rolled her eyes, "Do you know what makes zanpakuto unique from other swords? Zanpakuto imprint themselves to their owners. No," She sighed, "I'm afraid you'd find it impossible to use Gavilan Pintado. You'll have to go get an unimpressed blade from the Arrancar headquarters if you really want one."

Vaida blinked, her face falling slightly, then she scowled and crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back against a rock and muttering, "Feh, cheat."

Vicenta smirked to herself when she saw the young Vasto Lorde looked genuinely put out, "What… you aren't even going to try?"

"No!" Vaida barked, glaring at Vicenta with more intensity, "How stupid do you think I am?!"

Here, Vicenta glared at her harshly, "And what do you take us Arrancar for?! Backstabbers?! I _told_ you, we take Quid Pro Quo very seriously! Hell, even _with_ me abducted, if you told them you'd won against me, they'd have no _choice_ but to give you a blade." Vicenta paused to let her words sink in, then decided to end the game there, "Besides, if you do get it, think of how much easier it would be for you to impress Gillo…"

Vicenta had easily seen through Vaida's 'anger' towards the older Vasto Lorde, Gillo.

Even if the girl had convinced herself that she hated him, Vicenta knew that Vaida wanted nothing more than to impress him, to make him see her.

'It's all very pathetic, really.' Vicenta thought coldly, watching with half-lidded eyes and a grin as Vaida fought with herself.

Vicenta wasn't about to take it easy on the girl simply because she let herself get overpowered by the woman Marccia Bones; Vicenta was a captive, and her captors were Vasto Lordes. She didn't have the leeway to give pity.

She needed to be the Arrancar that she was and think coldly and rationally; she had to do whatever it took to survive.

And if that meant Vaida had to die… then so be it.

…Of course, Vicenta knew that the human in her would make her feel guilt and mourn the poor creature later (who wasn't all _that_ bad, just stupid and easily stepped on), but for now her human side needed to be abandoned.

She needed to _live_…

"…Alright." Vaida nodded after several moments of silence, "What do I do?"

Vicenta's grin couldn't have gotten wider, "Well, first—"

"Well, well, aren't we getting _chummy_…"

Both girls looked over as the tall, proud redhead who Vicenta knew could only be Marccia Bones walked into the room, looking at them and smiling sharply.

"Hey, girls…"

* * *

Vaida fled the cave, pointedly ignoring the grunts and cries that followed her as she headed straight for the exit of the Forest of Menos.

She knew what Marccia was doing with that Arrancar, Vicenta, and despite the fact that the bitch was rude, treated Vaida like she was an idiot and had somehow tricked Vaida into doing… something… (she hadn't quite figured out what yet), she still felt bad for her…

Because no one, _no one_, deserved to get the shit kicked out of them by Marccia.

Still, Vaida wasn't about to stick around and help a _Broken One_; that was just… disgusting.

No, she was going to go get her zanpakuto!

…Now, Vaida hadn't _completely_ believed Vicenta about the game and 'impressing' zanpakutos and all that, but it had gotten her curious… and she figured that, since Vicenta had made such a big deal about them, then maybe having a zanpakuto would be worth it.

Sure, security around the Broken Ones' compound would be pretty tight after one of theirs had been taken, but she figured that she could probably take advantage of the paranoia the creatures were probably feeling and sneak inside and get one… Or, better yet, trick one into coming outside and taking theirs.

Vaida grinned at the thought of Gillo being shocked and the image it made in her head, quickly shooting up out of the sand and setting foot back on Hueco Mundo topsoil as she flashed off towards the Broken Ones' compound.

Grinning when she saw the two halves of the giant black ball —or, as Vicenta had called it, a 'camera'— Vaida walked over and picked one half up, raising it over her head and slamming it back down into the ground several times.

She knew that, somehow, the Broken One's had built some kind of security system to hide their home in the sand, and it was the very fact that there was no _obvious_ way for them to observe the outside that left the impression on her that, somehow, they had a way to do just that. Maybe more cameras…

Suddenly, the void beneath her rippled slightly, making Vaida drop the camera and flash a safe, _long_ distance away, where she ducked down behind a dune and watched.

She watched as the sand shifted and a lone form in white (as the Broken Ones often wore) step up from below ground level, the form's shocking pink hair standing out in stark contrast to all of the white around it.

What drew Vaida's attention, though, was the sword a the form's side…

Vaida grinned, unable to believe her luck as the lone figure _stayed_ alone, no one else walking out with it as it slowly wandered over to the half of the camera pod she had been slamming around.

Vaida lowered herself to the ground further and tensed, her fingers and toes working into the sand as she looked over and watched the door to the Broken Ones' compound close, the reishi in the area rippling again as whatever security they had in place started up.

After waiting to make sure that the Arrancar that had walked out wouldn't be receiving any backup any time soon, she turned her attention back to the camera pod and tensed to run, only to freeze, her eyes widening.

The Broken One that had walked out was gone.

"Well, well, well… what do we have here…"

Vaida's breathing stopped and her body tensed further, her head slowly turning to her right and her eyes looking up of their own volition to meet a pair of oddly glowing amber irises framed in pink hair, the lenses of the glasses in front of them flashing in the moonlight at the same time those lips split in a wide, sinister grin.

"Hello, _dear_…"

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Wife Swap…?!

There is a very, very good reason Szayel and Mayuri don't work together, it turns out.

And, of course, knowing her luck Aporro _has_ to learn this firsthand, ne?

Thus, though she is horrified, Aporro can't bring herself to be shocked when the two scientists in front of her reveal something rather startling…

"…I'm sorry, but could you run that by me again? I don't think my brain processed that correctly…"

'Szayel' snorts and rolls his eyes, his arms hanging limply at his sides.

'Mayuri' sighs patiently and crosses his arms over his stomach, speaking to Aporro in a 'soothingly calm' voice… If Mayuri Kurotsuchi's voice could ever _get_ soothingly calm. "Aporro, dear, it seems the Captain and I have… accidentally made our consciousnesses switch bodies…"

Aporro blinks slowly, again horrified but not really shocked. "…Huh?"

"You dolt!" 'Szayel' snaps, baring and gritting his teeth, "The Perfect Being and I have switched spiritual bodies!! While I may _look_ like him, I am Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and he is Szayel Aporro Grantz!! Do you get it _yet_?!"

"…Yeah… I get it…"

'Szayel' and 'Mayuri' sigh, relieved.

"…I GET THAT THAT TERRIBLE MAN IS IN MY MATE'S SEXY BODY!!" Aporro wails, throwing herself at 'Szayel' and latching onto his waist.

"Damn you, woman!" 'Szayel'/Mayuri shrieks, slapping Aporro's head repeatedly, "Get off of me!!"

'Mayuri'/Szayel watches them flatly, his eye twitching as he mutters, "Well, now I suppose I know which part of me you _like_…"

"I don't care about the rest of it!! Just give me back my mate's—"

"WOMAN!! GET YOUR HANDS OUT OF THERE!!"

"NO!! IT'S MINE!! GIVE IT BACK!!"

"…It would appear as though I stand corrected…"


	20. Bloody Grin

**Warning:** This chapter contains graphic descriptions of torture through forced self-mutilation. Reader discretion is advised. If you simply don't want to read the torture session but do want to read the rest of the chapter, read until the second page break (the first being after the disclaimer), then scroll down until you reach the third. Everything after that is safe.

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Aporro stirred, her body taking its time to revive itself as if from a deep sleep.

She wasn't at all shocked to find her face pressed into one of Stark's pillows; when Szayel drugged her heavily but didn't have time to watch her, himself, he often left her with either the former Primera or his older brother.

She was even less surprised when she felt Stark's dense reiatsu behind her, his arm draped across her back; Stark tended to get really cuddly in his sleep.

Heaving a sigh, Aporro growled slightly and rolled to face Stark, flinching when she realized how much energy the simple action took. Szayel must have drugged her _heavily_ after she'd fallen asleep.

Listless and already bordering on going back to sleep, Aporro watched silently as Stark cracked an eye open at her stirrings, the former Espada blinking his one open eye slowly before rumbling, "You okay?"

"Tired." Aporro mumbled in answer, unable to keep her eyes from closing exhaustedly every few minutes, "Szayel really doped me good this time…"

"That he did." Stark agreed, closing his eye and nodding, "Gave you so much of a muscle relaxant he said the dosage was just short of being lethal…"

"Bastard." Aporro twitched, her eyes sympathetically closing with his and her mind starting to fog.

"And yet you still love him…" Stark observed amusedly, cracking his eye open again and smirking slightly when her lips twitched into a scowl.

"'course I do…" Aporro mumbled, her voice tapering off slightly, "He's… my life-mate…"

Stark chuckled, "Life-mates are just doomed to reproductive/sexual monogamy for the rest of eternity; no one said you had to love him."

"Well, don't that make me the stupid one?" Aporro snorted softly, mirthlessly.

"Oh, I wouldn't feel too bad." Stark sighed, sitting up and turning her onto her back so the effects of the muscle relaxants wouldn't stop her breathing, "It's not like, in yours and the Octava's case, the feelings aren't mutual."

"…Yeah." Aporro whispered, smiling slightly and limply letting him move her, "He is a fuckin' pansy, isn't he?"

Stark rolled his eyes, pulling the blankets down to relieve some of the pressure on her body, "Such an affectionate little treasure _you_ are…"

Aporro snorted again, waking up a bit now that she didn't feel like she was being smothered.

Peeling open her eyes, Aporro looked up at Stark and mumbled, "Where's Szayel?"

"Working." Stark sighed, flopping back and throwing an arm over his face, "The Seireitei's been informed, and as soon as they have the proper paperwork filled they'll come and help… Halibel's temporarily taken over your duties, everything's on lockdown and everyone's been sent to their rooms."

"…'nd Grimmjow?" Aporro could only imagine how the former Sexta was taking it…

"In his room." Stark sighed, "Szayel would have sedated him, too, if the brat hadn't wound himself up so much. Still, he hasn't left or even moved much, so…" Stark paused, then shook his head, lifting his arm and glancing at Aporro, "But forget all of that. Szayel wants you to be as in the dark as possible so you won't try to take control of things in your state, so just rest. Szayel has everything covered."

Aporro sighed, closing her eyes, "…When's Szayel coming back?"

"…Probably as soon as he's finished with his… 'work'…"

* * *

Szayel absently glanced over when his current subject of interest, a rather weak, female Vasto Lorde, woke, pulling at her restraints slightly and groaning.

"Are you awake?" He asked in a smooth tone, smirking slightly when she tensed and opened her eyes to glare at him.

Vaida's eyes quickly swept up and down Szayel's form before settling on his face again, her lips twisting in a sneer as she struggled against her bonds.

"That is quite pointless, you know." Szayel sighed, standing from the stool he had been sitting on and sauntering over, "I've effectively drained you to the point where you're no stronger than a human…" He paused at the side of her table, smiling down at her tauntingly, "Not that there was much left that needed sapping. You were in quite a state as it was."

Vaida narrowed her eyes up at him, drawing her lips back over her teeth and hissing at him.

Szayel stared down at her coolly, not at all impressed, then turned his back on her and wandered back over to the table he'd been working at. There, he picked up a beaker full of a thick, grey substance and held it up, making it catch in the light, "You know, after I captured you and analyzed your reiatsu, I noticed something very interesting."

Silence ensued as the former Octava picked up a tube of white liquid and poured it in the beaker, making the grey substance flash and turn silver.

Vaida watched silently, her jaw set.

Finally, Szayel glanced back at her, setting the beaker down, "I noticed that you had lingering traces of reiatsu on you that didn't belong to you, or even another Vasto Lorde. They belonged to an Arrancar. A certain Vicenta Acere Grantz." When Vaida tensed, Szayel glided over and smiled down at her, "Oh, so you know her…?"

Still, Vaida said nothing.

"Oh, is that the game you want to play?" Szayel drawled, quirking a brow slowly as if he were just catching on but smirking sharply to show he knew full well what she was trying to do. "Well, then, shall we loosen your lips a bit?"

Instinctively, Vaida flinched and closed her eyes, turning her head to the side and preparing to be struck.

No blow came, however.

Her brow furrowing, Vaida opened her eyes again and glanced over, watching as he turned and walked back over to his worktable yet again. Her brow only furrowed more when he picked up the beaker of silver liquid, and then her eyes widened when he slid the long, thick needle of a syringe into the substance and filled the plastic chamber.

Szayel carefully set the beaker back when the syringe was full, then turned and walked back over to the Vasto Lorde, his eyes wandering her form as she started to struggle. He had strapped her legs so that they were slightly splayed and her arms held out straight. An extra panel had been added to the metal table for her wings, which he had made sure were _thoroughly_ secured; he knew from firsthand experience how… tricky wings could be.

When the scientist got near her with the needle, Vaida finally spoke.

"What does that do?!"

Szayel glanced up from the vein he was looking at in her arm, smirking at the horrified look on her face, "Oh, suddenly the little bird can sing?" Without answering her question, he wrapped the fingers of his free hand around her elbow tightly, making the vein in her arm stand out before he slid the needle in.

Vaida screamed and struggled, but she wasn't able to stop Szayel from first drawing a bit of blood into the syringe, to make sure he'd hit the vein, then injecting the full, silvery contents into her bloodstream.

By the time he was done, Vaida was doing something she didn't normally do; she was throwing obscenity after obscenity at him.

Szayel was vaguely reminded of Aporro, but he was really too busy ignoring her as he wandered back over to his table and removed the needle from his syringe, tossing it into the red 'sharps' box.

When Vaida suddenly went silent behind him, he turned back and smiled, quirking a brow at the horrified look she was giving him, "Something wrong, little Vasto Lorde?"

"I can't move my body…" Vaida hissed, starting to hyperventilate, "What in the hell did you do to me?!"

"Oh, nothing much." Szayel shrugged one shoulder easily, sitting down in his chair and leaning back against the edge of his worktable, "Now… would you care to tell me how Vicenta's reiatsu signature ended up mingling with yours?"

Vaida narrowed her eyes at him, spitting, "Fuck you!"

"Now, that's hardly any language for a young lady to be speaking…" Szayel stood slowly and walked over to her, unfastening one of her arms, "Slap your mouth."

Vaida stared at him in confusion, then laid back in stunned shock when her hand flew up and struck her own mouth, hard enough to split her lip.

Szayel giggled slightly, "Your face does nothing to belie your confusion, allow me to explain." He reached out, smiling as he twirled a strand of her hair around his finger and spoke, "What I injected you with were nanobots; trillions of microscopic machines are coursing through your veins right now, from the tips of your toes all the way up to the latticework of vessels in your scalp."

Horror slowly trickled into Vaida's system, making it feel like the contents of her stomach had iced over and turned to slush as she tried, in vain, to struggle against her numb body.

"Now, I must tell you, they aren't _perfect_." Szayel sighed, lifting his hands and shrugging, "They don't come anywhere near affecting the areas of your brain that control cognizance, sensory perception or comprehension, however they _do_ give me complete and total control of your motor neurons. Your entire central nervous system, from your somatic motor neurons to your sympathetic and parasympathetic reflexes, belongs to me and is under my command. Now tell me, little Vasto Lorde," Szayel tilted his head slightly, smiling down at her and speaking as if to a child, "Do you know what that means?"

"YOU SICK FUCK!!" Vaida screamed, trying to fight off her paralysis.

Szayel stood, clicking his tongue and shaking his head as he planted his fists on his hips, "I swear, your mouth gets filthier and filthier. Well, we're going to have to fix that, aren't we?" He then stood directly beside her table and clasped his hands behind his back, leaning over her, "Bite your tongue off."

Vaida struggled to breathe as she stared up at him, actually wanting to tremble at the terrifying image he made.

The only light in the room she could see was directly over the table; it was bright white and it burned her eyes. With Szayel standing over her and in the path of the beam, the only features of his pitch-black silhouette she could make out were the flash of the two frames of his glasses and the glimmer of his teeth as he smiled widely.

Still, for as terrifying a visage as he made, nothing scared her more than when her own hand raised up and reached into her mouth.

Vaida started screaming around her fingers when they pulled her tongue out of her mouth as far as it could stretch, staring directly up in Szayel's glinting lenses and begging him thickly to stop.

Quickly, though, pain settled across her tongue like a hot iron brand and blood spattered her eyes, making her clamp them shut as she screamed hard, louder, longer.

She tried to ignore how she could feel her own teeth sawing back and forth, taste buds and the outer dermal layer giving away easily under her incisors.

She tried to ignore how she could feel them skip every now and then when they hit a particularly stubborn string of muscle.

She tried to ignore how her saliva and tears mixed to make a burning liquid that only added to her pain, and how her mouth was quickly filling with blood.

She hacked and wheezed when her screaming made her swallow and get bloody saliva in her lungs, but despite her inability to breathe her teeth kept sawing at her tongue, her dull, dirty claw-gauntlet fingers joining in after a bit and scratching at the gashes, pulling them roughly and stripping the skin away from the muscle.

"Oh, wait, I still need you to talk, don't I? You can stop."

When she regained control of her jaw and her hand fell down at her side, limp, Vaida squeezed her eyes shut and burst into tears, wishing she could move her neck so she could slam the back of her head against the table until she lost consciousness.

Szayel watched her dispassionately, then turned and walked over to his workbench, grabbing a clear, squishy tube filled with a turquoise substance and walking back over to the girl.

He popped the cap and squirted some of it into her mouth, harshly ordering her to spread it all over her tongue and watching closely as the substance flashed an emerald color before her flesh and muscles began to knit themselves back together.

Szayel sighed heavily and looked down at his hand, rubbing his thumb and pointer finger together absently so he could generate a bit of heat where the clothed digits met. Waiting for his healing medications to take effect, even the speedier ones, was always boring.

"O-Okay…" Vaida rasped when she could talk again, her voice strangled with tears and breaking slightly, "Okay, okay, okay, I'll tell you…"

Szayel looked down at her, smiling affectionately and tracing the length of his warmed finger along her jaw, "Good girl. Now, you never properly introduced yourself; what is your name?"

"V-Vaida." The young Vasto Lorde hiccupped, shuddering and whimpering when a bubble of blood burst in the back of her throat.

"Well met, Vaida." Szayel purred, "Now, how did Vicenta's reiatsu end up mingling with yours?"

"I-I was charged with watching her." Vaida admitted, swallowing the blood and healing agent in her mouth so he could hear her clearly.

"Charged by whom?" Szayel pressed in a deceptively gentle voice, rubbing a bit of blood off of her bottom lip with his thumb.

Here, Vaida clamped her mouth shut and swallowed hard, looking up at him pleadingly through her tears; silently begging him to ask a different question, one she could answer without being afraid.

Oh, Szayel got the message. But he wasn't about to relent.

"I asked 'whom', little Vaida." Szayel said, his tone starting to go dangerously flat.

"P-Please…" Vaida choked, "D-Don't ask me that…" If Marccia found out that Vaida had spoken under the influence of torture, the woman would _dismantle_ her.

"Whoever you're afraid of," Szayel murmured softly, leaning in close to her face, "Isn't here. I, however, am. And I have complete control of your body…"

Vaida licked her lips slowly before biting them, her gaze darting away.

"…Very well." Szayel sighed heavily, sounding disappointed, then leaned across the table and undid the strap her other arm, "Break your right index finger."

Vaida's gaze snapped back to him and she looked up at him with wide eyes, her mouth opening soundlessly even as her hands met above her stomach.

When she felt her left hand wrap around her index finger, Vaida could help but look down and watch in morbid fascination as her finger was slowly bent backwards towards the top of her hand.

Once it started to burn, she opened her mouth and started letting out short, breathy gasps, hyperventilating all over again when it went from burning to hurting and wailing unintelligibly when the joint started to crack.

And then, when her finger finally snapped, she clamped her mouth shut tightly and whimpered, her nose flaring and her eyes screwing shut. Still, not looking now wouldn't undo what she'd seen; the underside of her knuckle popping and turning white as sharp edges that weren't supposed to meet the air, ever, strained against the rough and calloused skin of her palm to do just that.

Szayel watched her with a quirked brow, glancing down at her hand and watching as her body twisted her finger slightly. So, she still wasn't talking…

"Now, break your right middle finger."

Another snap, crunch and grind, and this time she screamed in the back of her throat, her mouth still shut firmly.

"Your right ring finger is next."

Another snap, crunch and grind, and this time her a strangled cry bubbled out of her lips, bitter tears running down her face in streams.

"I'm sure you know what's next." Szayel smiled at her, "Go ahead. Break your pinky finger."

"F-Fuck you, you son of a bitch!!" Vaida screamed as her own body betrayed her yet again and snapped her pinky finger, leaving it somehow stiff yet limp at the same time and red, "Marccia!! Her name is Marccia fucking Bones!"

"Good girl." Szayel chuckled, reaching out and releasing the straps on her torso and neck. "Now, tell me… Where is Vicenta being held?"

Vaida let out a cry of frustration and closed her eyes in place of lowering her head, not even bothering to make an effort to hold back the tears anymore.

"I can't tell you that. Goddamn you, you sick fuck, you _know_ I can't tell you that!"

"Oh, I know." Szayel nodded, smiling down at her in a way that was almost gentle… "But you're going to. One way or another, you're going to."

Vaida closed her eyes and sobbed, her tongue burning, her right hand on _fire_ and throbbing, throbbing, throbbing and her head starting to split with the anguish and pain.

"Tell me, Vaida." Szayel urged in a disturbingly gentle tone, his hand cupping her cheek and caressing her temple with this thumb in some sick, twisted mockery of comfort, "Just tell me where Marccia Bones is holding Vicenta. How far is it from here? In which direction? Tell me, Vaida, and this can all end…"

But she couldn't. The crippling fear Marccia had literally _pounded_ into her skull prevented Vaida from speaking. All that came out of her mouth was rolling sob after sob, the sound thick with her tongue swelling in the aftermath of her nearly biting it off.

"Oh, Vaida." Szayel sighed, sounding almost sympathetic and very disappointed as he reached out and grabbed her right arm.

Vaida looked up at him through her tears, her chest heaving as he pressed her wrist to her lips.

"Bite." Szayel urged gently, "Chew. Strip your right forearm of all of its skin and flesh, right down to the bone… _Eat yourself._"

Not longer completely in contact with her own body, Vaida was vaguely aware of her voice screaming at Szayel, cursing him until she felt something soft and squishy give way under her teeth and something thick, metallic-tasting and hot flooded her mouth.

In too much shock to localize the pain, Vaida's entire form became a throbbing mass of hurt as she watched, as if from outside of her body, as her own teeth, her own mouth, started tearing hunks out of her arm.

Pale skin became dyed with red before it was torn aside, giving way to bloodied and pulsating tissue. Oily, clumpy fat was scooped out as if it were butter, and tough muscle had to be gnawed and pulled at until it was in bloody, stringy ribbons.

Long, tender strips of skin were peeled right off of her arm, and her lips and teeth worked frantically of their own accord to slurp them into her mouth.

Vaida tried but couldn't quite ignore how she could feel squishy, wet masses in her mouth, on her tongue, being chewed and reduced to mush before she swallowed and it went down into her stomach.

Pulsating masses of muscle, looking like slick slabs of raw hamburger, flexed and bulged as her neck muscles strained in the tearing and chewing motions, and, in some areas, blood-soaked bone, dyed a pale pink, glistened brilliantly in the overhead light.

She wanted to be sick.

She wanted to throw up so badly she could already taste bile… or, at least, she thought she could. She supposed she could have just as easily been tasting the layers of fat she'd already bitten through.

However, when Vaida went to throw up, Szayel sighed and let out a tut.

"Now, now, none of that. You'll make a mess on the floor. Hold it in."

And her body obeyed.

The convulsions and heaving her diaphragm and throat had been doing suddenly stopped, and Vaida found herself still eating her arm, no longer hindered by her gag reflex no matter how disgusted she was.

Suddenly, Vaida started imagining she was back out in the dunes of Hueco Mundo, napping beside Gillo or arguing with him over something petty. He would push her over and prop his feet up on her back, using her as a footrest and making her lay down and relax.

She would go hunting, and he would try to take the good half of her kill, making her whine and slap him.

She would feel Marccia nearby, and Gillo would push her to the ground and flop down beside her, raising his reiatsu until it crushed her slightly so she couldn't feel the sadistic redhead.

Vaida imagined this, and realized that none of what she was doing was worth it; that trying to impress Gillo was stupid.

All she wanted was to be with him again. All she wanted was his mildly annoyed presence nearby, shielding her from the kind of savagery that their kind were so prone to, that she was immersed in at that very moment.

Suddenly, the world swam and Vaida's sight went tunnel-visioned, everything inverting and turning grey before the world went black.

* * *

Szayel watched dispassionately as the young Vasto Lorde went limp and passed out, her arm flopping over the edge of the table and gushing blood onto the floor.

How had the girl _managed_ to achieve her rank?!

Perhaps she was one of those unfortunate few who lost their ferocity the more they evolved…

Sighing, Szayel grabbed the tube of turquoise paste again and slipped on a pair of long nitrile rubber gloves, slathering her arm with it and tossing the gloves in the wastebasket when he was finished. He then unfastened all of the straps from the girl's body completely and rolled her onto her stomach, moving her up so her chin hung over the edge of the table.

"Lumina, Verona, get a garbage bin under her mouth!" Szayel snapped, turning to his workstation and flipping through the medicine cabinet to fish out a syringe and a proper emetic.

Once his Fraccion had obeyed his command, Szayel turned back to the girl and injected a tea-colored liquid into her thigh, turning to the bloody mess on the floor when she instantly started convulsing and vomiting.

Sighing and rubbing his temple, Szayel waved his hand and snapped at his Fraccion to clean up the blood, having to shout slightly to speak over the sounds of Vaida emptying her stomach loudly.

It was only when the noises stopped that Szayel finally turned back to her, rolling her into her side and grabbing her right arm so he could look it over.

The paste had done its job, though she would have quite an ugly scar there, not to mention he would still have to take care of her hand, but…

…Joint breaks like that were minor; reconstructive surgery probably wouldn't even have to be penetrative if he used one of his experimental drugs and reset the fingers by hand.

And then, once she was in better shape, he could hook her up to one of his many machines and scan her limbic system to see if he couldn't retrieve any memories regarding Vicenta's location, because really, the weak little brat on his table hadn't proven to be any help at all.

Though he would give her…

…Her screams made her a sadist's dream.

* * *

Aporro opened her eyes slowly and looked up at the ceiling of her room, wondering just when she'd been moved from Stark's bed to her own.

When someone stirred beside her, she glanced at Szayel and blinked slowly, mumbling, "Hey…"

Szayel glance down at her from some glossy papers he was looking at, looking her body up and down slowly, "Aporro… how do you feel…?"

"Like I'm going to kick your ass if you ever drug me this much again."

"Ah." Szayel sighed, turning back to his papers, "Normal, then."

Aporro rolled her eyes and snorted, then lifted one hand weakly and beckoned him over, "C'mere."

Szayel sighed, but set the glossy papers aside and leaned over her, giving in slightly when she grabbed the front of the high collar of his jacket and dragged him down into a heated but slow and weak kiss.

Aporro frowned slightly as he pulled back, sniffing. He smelled like blood…

"Szayel, what were you doing while you had Stark watching me?"

"Nothing much." Szayel replied smoothly, his lips brushing the corner of her mouth before he sat upright again and picked his glossy papers back up. "Just work."

Aporro stared up at him silently, then struggled and rolled onto her side, reaching out and taking his free hand.

Szayel glanced down at her as she fell back asleep, then turned his attention back to the images of Hueco Mundo and the Forest of Menos on the papers in his hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

El Sanctuario's Clubs…! Part I

"I can't believe that the Captain-Commander actually approved letting shinigami join the Arrancar Kimono Society!" Momo giggles excitedly, clapping her hands and looking up at Rangiku.

"I can't believe there's an Arrancar who knows how to make kimonos…" Rangiku mumbles, looking up at the ceiling as she and the other shinigami who came to try out the club follow their Arrancar guide, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"Especially after the Sex Ed. Class disaster…" Nanao sighs, shaking her head.

"Oh, I'm sure this one will be quite enjoyable." Retsu insists from behind them with a gentle smile, "After all, making kimonos doesn't require as much… opinion."

"Why am I here again…?" Renji mumbles, glancing around at the gaggle of females surrounding him.

"Because you have a habit of taking all clubs for a test run." Ichigo grumbles moodily, clasping his hands behind his head and glaring at the ceiling.

"Oh?" Renji glances at him, grinning in annoyance and quirking a twitching brow, "And why are you here?"

"Because you dragged me along, asshole!" Ichigo snaps, scowling.

Titters and giggles erupt around them, making both males flush and lower their heads.

The noise abruptly stops, though, when their Arrancar guide turns to them and bows, gesturing to a door, "The chairwoman is waiting just inside. Thank you for coming, and we hope you enjoy yourselves."

The group of ten strong walk inside, freezing when they see, amongst the forest of mannequins and standing rolls and sheathes of bright and colorful fabrics, the 'chairwoman', already hard at work with her mannequin at the head of the room.

Aporro looks over as her group of newcomers walks in, grinning past the long silver pins in her mouth and giving them a two-fingered salute, "Yo!"

_Surprisingly… the club would become quite popular._


	21. Damn You, Maternal Instinct

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Vicenta pressed her swelling cheek to the cold stone beneath her, panting and closing her eyes tightly against the dull stabs of pain that came with every strained breath.

"Wh-What the hell do you hope to accomplish by this…? Do you want information? Do you want to use me as a shield to destroy my family? Because I can assure you, there's nothing I would say that a savage like you would understand, and if I tell my father to he'll let me be killed. He'll only be hesitant because of my mother, but it won't be hard to convince him."

"Oh, you sweet little thing!" Marccia snickered, leaning over and grabbing Vicenta's chin so she could pull her up, the redhead smirking down at her and showing the slightest hint of fangs. "You're overestimating your value! How adorable!"

Vicenta sneered, calmly hissing, "Bit me, bitch."

Marccia giggled, her forked tongue snaking out and licking the tip of Vicenta's nose, "Tell me where, _muffin_." When Vicenta snarled and kicked her, Marccia chuckled and dropped her back onto the ground, turning and sauntering away, "No, no, I don't hope to gain anything from kidnapping you other than riling up your little… 'family'." She turned back towards the young Arrancar quickly, shifting her weight to one hip as her tails wrapped around her waist, "And, no, you won't have the opportunity to see your family again, so don't even think that you'll be able to talk them into or out of anything."

Vicenta narrowed her eyes and looked the woman up and down slowly, asking, "Well, then, what's stopping you from killing me? You already have your stress toy in that brat, Vaida." Something about this didn't strike Vicenta right… Either the woman was lying, or she had something else in mind for her.

"Oh, it isn't my place to kill you." Marccia waved her off flippantly, sitting down on a rocky outcropping, "That pleasure belongs to Daramos."

"Daramos, huh?" Vicenta quirked a brow, sitting up and sneering, "So, is he 'Marccia' to your 'Vaida'?"

Quicker than Vicenta could see, the retaliation was immediate and pain bloomed on the right side of her face, her back scraping against the floor painfully as she flew across the room before slamming into the wall.

Vicenta lay there silently, stunned.

If there was one aspect of her fighting she prided herself on, it was her speed. Even without Gavilan Pintado released, Vicenta was capable of moving at non-sonidoed bursts of speed that sent even her mother reeling, and when Vicenta did have her Resurreccion out she and Grimmjow stood on even footing in terms of speed, so long as she pressed herself.

By default, this meant that Vicenta also excelled _seeing_ exceedingly fast movements, so long as they were in her range; of course, her range was exceedingly wide.

The smack that Marccia had delivered to Vicenta though… The young Arrancar hadn't seen it coming.

And that left her in stunned shock, staring off into space and replaying the scenario over and over, _trying_ to follow Marccia's movements.

But, for the life of her, she _couldn't_…

…Vicenta had met someone who surpassed her in terms of speed, and it left her floored and humbled in the worst of ways.

Oblivious to the girl's shock, Marccia leaned over and hissed, "I'd watch my tongue if I were you, you little bitch, because while killing you may be Daramos' pleasure, _I'm_ the one in charge of you until I can deliver you to him."

Still, as Marccia backed away and walked off, Vicenta said nothing, still reeling more from the shock of being bested rather than the pain, though the pain was getting great… especially in her lungs, with the way she was being thrown around…

Before Vicenta's thoughts could get much further, there came rasping footsteps from the front of the cave.

As she looked, her eyes widened when she saw a green-skinned, anthromorphic lizard with a mask like a jackal's head, the thin form of Gavilan Pintado clenched tightly in its mammoth claws.

"W-We found the sword, Milady!" It crowed, falling to one knee and holding it out.

Marccia strode over to it quickly and snatched the sword up, inspecting it with both hands.

Vicenta flinched and hissed when the woman drew the blade, "Get your hands off of my sword, Marccia!"

The woman, though, just glanced at her and smirked, twirling the bare blade around between her fingers, "These are supposed to be part of your soul, correct? What would happen if I were to… break it?"

"It's nothing so poetic, so get your head out of your ass." Vicenta spat, snarling, "If you broke it, it would simply repair itself. I just don't like _anyone_, especially not some damned filthy creature, touching my zanpakuto, so just drop it already!"

"You're quite full of yourself, aren't you…?" Marccia observed distractedly, tipping her head slightly and tapping the blade of Gavilan Pintado against the sheath, her hand curled delicately around the hilt underneath the graceful arches basket wiring.

"I told you to drop my sword." Vicenta growled venomously, squirming to try to stand.

"Always holding yourself to a higher standard, speaking so freely, barking out orders like you're in complete control…" Marccia went on, her face going blank and something flashing in her eyes, "Frankly, I don't like it…"

Her anger peeking at not only being ignored, but also at the fact that the Vasto Lorde _still_ had her hands on her zanpakuto, Vicenta sat up as straight as she could and faced Marccia, screaming, "I said to DROP. MY. SWORD!!"

A bright, pearl-gray light filled the room and the Adjuchas watched in horror as a beam of condensed reishi smacked his mistress square in the chest.

Marccia, though, didn't budge an inch, and continued staring at Vicenta with a blank face and almost glowing eyes.

"…Alright," The Vasto Lorde started after a moment, walking towards Vicenta slowly, "I've made my decision."

Spent, Vicenta glared up at her defiantly as the woman approached, panting and slumping back against the wall exhaustedly.

Marccia stood over Vicenta and raised Gavilan Pintado over her head, bearing her straight teeth and pointed canines as she flashed a crazed smile, her eyes glinting so the red of her hair made her gold irises shine and glimmer the color of old blood.

"I'm gonna show you that a pack can only have one alpha female at a time."

* * *

"Szayel, I want to know what the hell you were working on yesterday."

Sigh. "And why would you want to know _that_ so badly, Aporro?"

"Because this amount of blood on your uniform disturbs me. There's way too little of it, and it smells like it should he soaked in it."

"…Did you dig that out of the hamper?"

"That's not the point! Answer me!"

Sigh. "Your dosage is wearing off; hold on a moment and I'll get you another."

"Szayel!" Aporro dropped the slightly bloodied uniform in her hands and latched onto Szayel's arm, narrowing her eyes at him stubbornly when he turned back from the door to look at her, "What were you doing yesterday?"

Szayel stared at his mate with an expressionless face, then sighed heavily and shook his arm out of her hand, taking her wrist, instead and leading her out of their room and down the hall.

Aporro followed, her eyes still narrowed and her reiatsu now stirring irately against her skin. She _hated_ it when Szayel didn't answer her outright; how he always had to make a goddamned ordeal out of everything.

Damn him and his love for the theatrics…

Still, she let him lead her, and as they followed the path that she recognized led to his containment cells, Aporro faintly sensed out lingering traces of a foreign reiatsu in the air.

While Aporro wasn't about to assume knowing all of the inhabitants of El Sanctuario personally, she would assume to know every last signature that every last inhabitant possessed, and there was no doubt in her mind that this signature didn't belong to any of them.

It also wasn't shinigami… Oh, no, it was definitely Hollow.

And while it wasn't unusual for Szayel to capture wayward Hollows for study and experimentation, he knew full well that no one was allowed to leave El Sanctuario at the moment… It was a rule he'd instigated.

So why—

Aporro jerked to a stop and stared at through the window in front of her.

The room on the other side was brightly lit, as to make sure that the dark room Szayel and Aporro were in would be able to see inside without the person on the opposite side being able to see them. The room was also very small, only six feet across by ten feet long. It had a small, overhanging bed jutting out of the wall, and the wall that had the door in it, the wall opposing the two-way mirror, was made of a thick, reiryoku-negating Plexiglas-like material, with several lines of holes dotting it about ten feet up for airflow.

But it wasn't the room that caught Aporro's attention; no, she'd already known that these containment cells were here. Actually, in this particular hall, there were about ten of them side-by-side, like prison cells in an insane asylum.

No, what caught her attention was what was inside…

The girl looked to be about eleven-years old, had choppily cut light brown hair, golden eyes that were typical for her species, and a pair of bone wings sprouting from her back, several piece of bone curved around her upper body so it almost looked like the wings were actually some sort of backpack or slip-on attachment. The bone also extended to her arms, gauntlet-like attachments covering the top half of her forearms, only about an inch past her wrists, as well as the tops of her hands, ending in small claws over her fingernails. A small strip of cloth was twisted around her hips and tied in place, like a skirt a girl would wear.

But Aporro knew…

What was in the room before her was no little girl.

And even so, even knowing what creature was in the room before her, something still pulled at her heart…

"Szayel, why is she in there?" Aporro murmured, her eyes scanning the girl's body and not missing the thick, clean white bandages wrapped around her hand, or the extremely fresh-looking scarring on the inside of her right arm, the same arm that had the bandaged hand.

"Because she was involved with Vicenta's disappearance."

"Her? No…" This thing in the cage, covered in bruises and cuts? Still smudged with desert sands? No… Some part of Aporro refused to believe that; probably the same part that made her feel so intensely sorry for the child.

"…Aporro?" She heard Szayel ask her, his hand settling on her shoulder.

"My maternal instincts picked a bad time to kick in." Aporro growled, pulling away from him and quickly leaving the small, dim observatory hall behind the cells.

Though she heard Szayel follow her, she didn't bother to wait for him and swung around the corner quickly and into the more brightly lit main hall of the containment center, walking past empty cell after empty cell until she reached the girl's.

There was a tall push-tray in front of her cell, a clear plastic platter on top piled with some of Szayel's specially-made, reiryoku-replenishing grey slop.

Ignoring Szayel's muted protests, Aporro picked up the tray and quickly unlocked the cell, opening the door and marching inside.

The girl looked up with wide eyes as the door shut behind Aporro, and she vaguely heard Szayel locking it again as she stood there and stared at her.

Aporro watched as the girl's wings folded in and pressed close to her back, her small body hunkering down slightly as she shuffled back, one hand (the non-bandaged one) raising and shielding her body.

But it was a vain move, and they both knew it.

The small Hollow had no energy to defend herself.

Not that Aporro was about to attack her.

"It's alright…" Aporro soothed calmly, taking slow steps forward, "I'm not here to continue whatever Szayel started…"

The small Hollow didn't listen, though, and shuffled back even more, until her back pressed against the dark glass window.

Aporro sighed and sat down on the edge of the small bed, setting down the plate and pushing it towards the girl, "Eat. It'll help you recover." When the girl narrowed her eyes at her in distrust, Aporro rolled her eyes slightly and reached out, scooping up some of the mush with her pointer and index fingers and shoving the blob into her own mouth. "See?" She swallowed, opening her mouth and sticking out her tongue so the girl would see she'd eaten it, "Safe."

"…Why?" The girl finally spoke, her voice a rasp.

"Because you're hurt?" Aporro shrugged, "Because you're weak? Because I know how Szayel can be? Because I'm a sap? Screw the why. Eat, because if you don't, Szayel's going to hook you up to tubes to make you."

The girl's eyes widened and she quickly sat down, her eyes darting between Aporro and the plate. Finally, she reached out and slowly took the edge of it, then jerked it over to her and started eating, shoveling the food into her mouth with both hands.

Aporro sighed and watched her silently, reaching into her pocket when the girl was close to being finished and pulling out a cloth.

The girl tensed when Aporro offered it, looking between her face and the cloth, then finished off the food and reached out, taking it and wiping herself off.

"…My name is Vaida…" The girl muttered.

"And my name is Aporro." Aporro muttered back, "Szayel is my mate… And Vicenta is my daughter."

Vaida tensed and looked away quickly, mumbling, "So that's why he was so angry…"

"…Well, that, and Szayel's naturally sadistic." Aporro shrugged. She then frowned at the girl, "What did you have to do with Vicenta's disappearance?"

Vaida tensed even more, pushing back and squirming slightly, "I… I was the bait… And I was the one who told Marccia about her…"

Aporro looked away and nodded, taking this in.

And she would be lying if she said she wasn't pissed.

But she wouldn't and couldn't bring herself to want to hurt the girl; again, her maternal instincts flaring.

"…How long am I going to be held here?" Vaida mumbled, "When is he just going to stop screwing with me and kill me?"

"Indeterminate is your first answer." Aporro said wryly, glancing back at her with a frown, "And never is your second. Regardless of the current situation, Szayel isn't allowed to kill you."

"…On whose order?" Vaida ventured, looking up at Aporro searchingly, ciruous as to who would hold more sway than Szayel.

"Mine." Aporro said, glancing over her shoulder pointedly and glaring.

On the other side of the clear wall, Szayel quirked a brow, then rolled his eyes and walked away, leaving them alone.

Aporro sighed, then turned back to Vaida, easily grabbing the girl's wrists as she flung herself at her in attack and stopping her. Aporro then stood and quickly pressed the girl to the wall, hissing, "You need to not do that again, Vaida, or nothing I say to Szayel will stop him from doing whatever he wants to when I have my back turned."

Vaida stared up at her, infuriated, terrified and shaking because of both, "Why do you _care_, Broken One?!"

Aporro just smirked down at her wryly, "Because I always have been and probably always will be way too maternal for my own good."

Vaida stared up at her for a moment longer, trembling, then lowered her head and lost her fight, choking on a small sob.

Aporro let her go and stepped back, watching as the girl crumpled in on herself and fell.

Her own anger prevented her from comforting the Hollow too much, but she couldn't quite bring herself to hate or want to hurt her.

Heaving a sigh, Aporro knelt in front of her, muttering, "Vicenta won't be missing long; we'll find her. No matter who we have to tear down. And when we get her back, I'll make Szayel let you go."

Aporro stood and grabbed the plate, then turned and walked out, locking the door behind her.

And as she walked away, she tried to keep in mind the gold eyes that stared after her with some glimmer of hope…

Because if she didn't, she was likely to let her anger get the best of her and forget her promise.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

El Sanctuario's Clubs…! Part II

"I… I can't believe the Captain-Commander actually approved letting shinigami join this society…" Momo rasps nervously, glancing around and fidgeting.

Beside her, Soifon is sitting ramrod straight and glaring at the door, waiting for the chairwoman to come in.

Whether she was there because she was genuinely interested in the club or because the Captain-Commander sent her to investigate it, no one else in the room could tell…

…Not that they were really thinking about it.

They were all too nervous about being involved in the club to begin with to really ponder.

"Why do I always get invited to this shit…?!" Renji growls.

Ichigo throws him a glare, "Why do you always drag me along for this shit?"

"Now, now, everyone…" The occupants of the room tense and look up when, instead of using the door, Chairwoman Aporro descends from the ceiling and settles down directly at the head of the group, grinning darkly, "There's no need to unleash any hostilities just _yet_… save your anger for practice. Now, does everyone have a mannequin?"

There are several muted, nervously mumbled affirmatives, making Aporro nod grin widely as she pulls he chair up to her table, grabbing her life-sized and anatomically correct mannequin and pulling it over to herself.

"Alright, everyone, we can now commence the first gathering of the Arrancar Beginner's Torture Society! And for the first meeting, I figured we'd start small, so we're going to discuss how to torture someone…"

Everyone watched with baited breath as she fishes around inside of a desk on her table, their eyes widening when they see the contents of the slim, clear package she pulls out.

"Using the pins we used in our Kimono Society!"

"Aporro, did you take the needles I use for my vivisections and necropsies again?!"

"…If he asks, I wasn't here."

_Unsurprisingly… the club would really only be popular with the Arrancar._


	22. Diplomacy Actually Begets Relief?

^.^ This chapters episode of 'Fun in The Sanctuary~!' was suggested by Bladre MKT. You want someone to thank for the funny? All Hail Bladre!!

Also, if you'd like to suggest a 'Fun in The Sanctuary~!' episode topic, feel free to do so and I'll do my best~!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Aporro waited until Szayel was well asleep before she got up and snuck out of their room, padding down the stone halls with bare feet as she navigated herself along the 'scenic route' to Szayel's laboratory.

Briefly, going to check on Vaida crossed her mind, but the idea was quickly dashed before it was even finished; she hadn't left Szayel's side because she wasn't tired, she'd left it because she wanted to be alone.

The Sanctuary was quiet, and as she went from hall to hall Aporro ran into no one. The strict curfew that had been set was being taken very seriously, and the air was oppressive thanks to the recently strengthened reiryoku barriers.

When she made it to Szayel's labs, Aporro turned around as the door slid shut and pressed her hands against it, the mechanisms inside immediately registering the pressure and loosening their hold.

Aporro then slid the door the rest of the way by hand, so the sound didn't echo down the halls and disturb anyone, until it clicked shut softly.

Sighing, she ran her forefinger down a short length of a section of the door close to the doorframe, where the knob would be if there was one, and there was a series of clicks in the door, itself as it locked.

Aporro turned back to the lab behind her and looked around, slowly walking further in as she did.

Glass cylinders lined the walls, ranging from large to small but all aligned in a neat and aesthetically pleasing fashion and all filled with uniformly colored liquids according to size, though no two had the same contents.

There were countless workstations and machines of either stone or finely polished stainless steel, several of the machines humming softly and emitting dim lights from their various keypads and containment chambers.

Though the floors in the lab were made of the same stone that made up every other floor and even every other wall and ceiling in the rest of the compound, the stone in Szayel's lab was polished until it reflected like still water, and even without shoes on her feet still padded rather loudly.

Despite the fact that the floors were ice cold, Aporro continued walking slowly, making her gradual way over to Szayel's large, main computer.

Szayel's chair was inviting, and Aporro took advantage of the fact that Szayel wasn't there to draw her legs up and tuck her feet in to warm them up again; Szayel could be such a stickler about keeping feet off of furniture when they didn't belong there.

And then, utterly alone and well away from where anyone could hear her, Aporro covered her head with her arms and broke down.

If only for the others (and so Szayel would quit drugging her until she was seeing in infrared) she'd pulled herself together as soon as she'd recovered from her last drugging.

Still, everywhere she looked all she saw was the absence of her daughter, and no less than ten times a day she had to hold back sobs that came seemingly from nowhere.

Though Szayel remained oblivious, she was sure a few others (namely Stark and possibly Grimmjow) had noticed, though they hadn't said anything, blessedly.

Still, Aporro had needed to find a way to let out the sorrow that was slowly building up, and this was the only way she could think of doing it…

Actually, she'd wanted to go into Vicenta's lab and cry, but it seemed to have figured out that Vicenta was missing and had simply blacked out; not even the cameras in there were on anymore, though if one were to walk by you could still hear things running inside.

So Aporro had opted for Szayel's laboratory, instead, and this was the third night she'd locked herself in, sat down in Szayel's chair and sobbed where no one could hear her.

It was getting harder and harder to explain why she had red eyes every morning when they woke, and if she didn't think of a better excuse soon he was going to sit her down for a forced eye examination and he would find out just what was causing the bloodshot sclera.

Still, she couldn't bring herself to stop, because if she tried she'd end up breaking down somewhere else, where someone could see her, and she'd wind up drugged agin.

Aporro was so wrapped up in her crying that she didn't hear the door open, and it wasn't until someone shoved her chair back roughly a few feet that she finally noticed she wasn't alone and looked up.

Even through the watery film that covered her eyes, she could still make out the stock of shocking blue hair in the dark and she sighed, mumbling with a thick voice, "What are you doing here, Grimmjow?"

"Your cap on your reiatsu is slowly getting worse the more you do this." The former Sexta grunted, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning back against the keyboard, "Learn to save your blubbering for when you actually have the door locked behind you or Szayel's going to find out."

Unable to bring herself to snap at him, Aporro just nodded once before dropping her head into her hands, "Grimmjow… I can't live like this much longer… I need to _feel_ her here or nearby, or I'm going to…" She trailed off, swallowing.

Aporro knew that the pain she was feeling was probably nothing like what Grimmjow was feeling; Grimmjow, who was Vicenta's life-mate.

Actually, Aporro had never felt the pain that came with being separated from one's life-mate… After she and Szayel had reestablished their relationship once she'd become a Hollow, and then an Arrancar, the former Octava had always made sure she was never far away.

Still, even if the pain they felt wasn't the same, she was sure it was occurring in similar amounts and didn't want to prod too much at either of their open sores…

"It hurts like a fucking bitch, don't it?"

Aporro blinked up at Grimmjow, shocked.

He glared at the space over her shoulder, the muscles in his arms bulging slightly as he tensed and the tendons in his neck straining as he ground his teeth.

"It's not just the absence, is it? It's the uncertainty… It feels like it's gnawing away at your gut, like it's hollowing you out. It's eating away at your essence, leaving you in pain and pissed off…"

"It's… the same way it feels when you're a Hollow…" Aporro mumbled, blinking.

"…Unless she's on a separate plane, I'm supposed to be able to feel her at all times." Grimmjow growled, his gaze turning livid, "But there's nothing there… and it pisses me off to no end." He ran a hand through his hair, hissing, "I need to kick someone's ass, but I can't fight anyone here because I'll kill 'em… And I can't go to the surface because you and your bitch have everything on lockdown." He turned his glare on Aporro, snapping, "And now I can't even sleep because I know every night you drag your ass in here and cry yourself hoarse!"

Aporro stared up at him, the corners of her eyes getting wet again, then stood slowly and walked over to him, mumbling when he snarled suspiciously, "It's alright, Grimmjow…"

The former Sexta tensed and froze in place when the smaller Arrancar wrapped her arms around him, twitching slightly when she pressed her wet face to his chest and got one side of his jacket wet, her other eye resting right on the skin and making it damp.

Still, he didn't push her away, and when her legs started to give out when she started crying again he fisted his hand into the back of her jacket to keep her from falling to his feet, holding her in place as he glared off into space and ground his teeth so hard he felt them shift and creak in protest.

"We're going to find her." Aporro rasped thickly after a moment, "We're going to find her… We have to… As soon as we get word back from the Captain-Commander, we'll know where we stand and we'll be able to start planning."

Suddenly, the screen behind Grimmjow flickered to life and the First Division Captain's gravely voice flooded the room, "_If you're waiting for us, then we can start planning now._"

Grimmjow took a sharp step to the side and glared over his shoulder, and Aporro looked up at the screen with red eyes, biting her lip when the Captain-Commander nodded to her seriously. And he wasn't alone; two rows of the other twelve captains stood in the First Division meeting room, and they were all looking into the screen, as well.

"Grimmjow, go wake Szayel." Aporro muttered, coughing to clear her voice and sitting back in Szayel's chair, "I'll start."

* * *

As soon as Grimmjow was gone, Yamamoto nodded, "_Miss Aporro._"

Aporro stood slightly and bowed at the waist before sitting back down, "Captain-Commander Yamamoto, thank you for getting back to us so quickly… I know how long these kinds of things can usually take you, especially with the Central 46 involved…"

"_Hmm, yes._" Yamamoto frowned, "_That was quite an ordeal…_"

Because the treaty with the Arrancar had been proposed while Yamamoto had stood in place for the previous Central 46 that Aizen had murdered, the new officials who filled the forty-six seats could hardly overthrow his judgment as he'd held the same power as them during his reign.

That didn't mean that the new officials didn't give the Captain-Commander hell every time a proposal was sent to them concerning their Arrancar 'allies', though Aporro was just glad that the Royal Family hadn't intervened, either because they found it unnecessary or the Central 46 simply hadn't deemed the matter of 'heathen Hollow half-breeds' worth the royalty's time.

Still, she couldn't say she was too surprised concerning the speedy response; because El Sanctuario had senkaimon that linked them directly to the Soul Society, any problems that arose about a possible invasion of the Arrancar stronghold almost immediately became a problem with the Seireitei.

"_While we wait for Szayel Aporro and his most recent findings,_" Yamamoto began in his slow, even tone, "_Let us recap and bring everyone up to speed._"

Aporro nodded, sitting up straight and addressing the captains as they looked at her and listened, "A few weeks ago, Vicenta started a new project to make as thorough a map as she could of Hueco Mundo, using ten gigantic camera pods. Not two days after their launch, one was attacked and taken down." She paused before going on, "Vicenta went after it to retrieve its black box, and upon retrieving it and analyzing it with Szayel, they both came to the conclusion that the pod had been attacked by a Vasto Lorde." She paused again.

"_And, up until very recently, that had been the only pod attacked, correct?_" Yamamoto asked.

Aporro nodded, "That's right."

Several captains frowned slightly, Hitsugaya asking, "_Why just that one pod?_"

"The reason, as of yet, is indeterminate." Aporro sighed, sitting back and waving her hand, "They all flew at a uniform height and at uniform speed, far higher than any Hollow we have on record has been known to fly. In fact, unless the attacker knew to look for it, it's highly unlikely any life forms would have noticed it at all. This lead Szayel to believe that there may have been some malfunction within the pod that may have irritated the Vasto Lorde that attacked it, which is feasible since apparently the pod was an old prototype that had simply been modified to keep up with the rest."

A momentary silence fell as everyone soaked in this information.

When Yamamoto nodded to her, Aporro nodded and went on, "Because Vicenta had left to recover the black box on her own, without telling us, Szayel and I decided to instigate a punishment, which was why she ended up in the Seireitei for several days, as you all know. During her absence… several more pods were destroyed, in quick succession."

"_Same attacker?_" Soifon asked sharply.

"Indeterminate." Aporro sighed again, "In her absence and after the first attack, Vicenta's lab shut itself and locked us out, preventing us from finding out any pertinent information."

Soifon's perpetual frown deepened, "_And why wasn't Vicenta Acere brought back for an analysis?_"

"Because she's a brat." Aporro sneered, flicking her wrist in irritation, "If she'd known that more of her cameras were being taken down, she would have done something stupid like gone off to exact revenge. Szayel and I decided that so long as it didn't seem the Vasto Lordes could use the pods to find us then their destruction wasn't important. Unfortunate, but not priority."

"_Though that situation changed, didn't it?_" Mayuri purred, already grinning.

Aporro glanced at him sharply, sneering, "Bite my ass, Kurotsuchi! You saw the data before Vicenta; you knew what was going on and you showed her anyway. If we're going to start the blame game, fault for her abduction lies with you!"

"_Aporro! Captain Kurotsuchi!_" Yamamoto barked.

Mayuri's wide-toothed grin flipped to a wide-toothed frown and he said in a low but very clear voice, "_The Spawn's abduction was not something I wanted or would have wished, and I am no less irate about it than you are._"

There were several blinks at this admission, though one of them certainly wasn't from Aporro. She was too pissed at him to care.

"As Captain Kurotsuchi pointed out," Aporro growled, looking at Yamamoto again, and rather pointedly, "The situation changed. The final pod that was taken down was rent in half and delivered right to The Sanctuary's front doorstep."

"_So, your position has, indeed, been compromised…_" Byakuya observed in monotone.

Aporro nodded, "Indeed, it has." She then glanced sharply at Mayuri, "_Captain_ Kurotsuchi can take it from here."

Mayuri sniffed and narrowed his eyes at her, but a pointed glare from the Captain-Commander got him speaking, _"During her banishment from her home, the Spawn came to work with me in my lab. Attempts were made to access her computer network using mine, and when nothing worked we received outside assistance. The Spawn found out about what was happening, demanded to go home, then shanghaied one of my pseudo-Garganta. Once back in her homeland, she took off after a figure in the distance with Nemu and I in pursuit. The figure was lost, we turned to head back, and on the way she was grabbed and dragged down into the sands._"

"_To the Forest of Menos?!_" Komamura asked sharply, looking back at Aporro with narrowed eyes.

"Presumably." Aporro sighed, leaning back in her seat, "Unfortunately, that's where my information ends. Szayel's had me doped up on muscle relaxants for the last few… however long it's been, and during that time he wouldn't tell me a thing. He's the one who knows the most about the current situation."

"Indeed, I am."

Everyone looked back, watching as Szayel stepped out of the shadows and walked forward, one hand poised to 'adjust' his glasses (as if they moved) and the other held behind his back.

"_Speak, Szayel Aporro._"

Szayel nodded, coming to stand beside Aporro and clasping both hands behind his back, "The other day, I captured a young Vasto Lorde by the name of Vaida; she was one of the assaulters of the pods, though not the original. In addition, she assaulted the pod under the order of yet another Vasto Lorde, though I doubt the one who ordered her to was the original, either. At the very least, this means that there are still two Vasto Lordes out there who may well want for our blood."

"_Do you have names?_" Jushiro asked, frowning, "_If it's a Hollow we know of, we could have their information in the database, as well as information on their territory…_"

Szayel glanced at him, pausing before answering, "Vaida attacked under the order of Marccia Bones."

Several captains flinched and Soifon clenched her hands at her sides tightly.

Aporro frowned, "…Who's Marccia Bones?"

"One sadistic bitch." Grimmjow suddenly emerged from the shadows, probably from having been standing there the whole time, opting to listen since he wasn't much of a 'political person'. Still, he spoke now, walking up beside Aporro and glancing down at her, "She's not as old as someone like Stark, but she's still pretty damn old, not to mention pretty damn strong."

"_She's been eluding capture for the better part of one hundred years…_" Shunsui drawled, sighing heavily and shaking his head, "_And those are just the years we've been able to confirm that it was her…_"

Aporro frowned deeply, lowering her head and pinching the bridge of her nose, "Fuu-uuuuuck…" She then glanced up at Szayel sharply, "Did you find out anything about Vicenta's location?"

Szayel nodded, reaching over his keyboard and typing in a few things that made several images appear on the screen, "Apparently, Marccia has her held in a location of the Forest of Menos known as the Grove of White Trees, in a cave at the base of the valley. That is about twenty kilometers southeast of here. It's actually just below a corner of an area I have marked down as part of Marccia's territory."

"…_I see…_" Attention turned back to Yamamoto as he stood, clutching his heavily gnarled staff with both hands and looking at the Arrancar on the other end of the feed seriously, "_The fact that one of yours has been not only kidnapped, but kidnapped by a dangerous Vasto Lorde who knows of your location, no less, is disturbing, indeed. And the fact that Vicenta Acere was taken deliberately, not just out from underneath the watch of one of our Captains but also after the delivery of such a blatant insult constitutes a challenge of war. While this is something we would like to avoid, the retrieval of Vicenta Acere takes top priority. After that, we will wait and see how things turn out._"

"'We'…" Aporro repeated, sitting up straight and smiling slightly, "So, you'll help…"

Yamamoto nodded, "_We've received approval from the Central 46 and will be sending officers immediately._" The old shinigami then looked around the room, "_Who will volunteer to assist in the rescue mission of Vicenta Acere?_"

Aporro was more than slightly shocked when the first person who stepped forward was none other than Byakuya Kuchiki.

Toshiro Hitsugaya followed suit, surprising Aporro further.

When Shunsui and Jushiro stepped forward to offer to stay at El Sanctuario to keep an eye on things, Aporro was doing her best to control her facial expressions but her chest was puffed out and she felt fit to burst, so incredibly touched she thought she would cry.

"_We don't need four captains there._" Yamamoto grumbled, "_But if you two are worried, Jushiro, you can go._" He glanced at Shunsui sharply, "_You, however, are behind on your paperwork._"

Shunsui laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, glancing at Aporro and shrugging, "_Sorry, looks like I'm stuck here._"

"That's a shame." Aporro snickered, throwing a grin at the Eleventh Division Captain, "But I'm surprised you didn't jump at the opportunity to join in, Kenpachi."

Kenpachi snorted, his visible eye rolling as he grumbled, "_'Rescue mission' implies being careful, and if I'm gonna go to Hueco Mundo I want to be able to go all out. Still…_" The gruff captain glanced at Hitsugaya and barked, "_Hitsugaya! Take Ikkaku, Yumichika and Kurosaki with you! They've been bitching about getting out and it's grating on my nerves…_"

Hitsugaya twitched, then sneered, "_Fine. But make sure you tell them ahead of time that they are to follow my _every order_._"

Kenpachi rolled his eye.

Yamamoto sighed, then addressed all present once again, "_Very well, then. Captain Kuchiki, Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Ukitake, return to your divisions immediately and prepare for departure. Captain Zaraki, inform those of your men who are going of their duties. All involved in this mission will depart in three hours._" The captain then lifted his staff and brought it back down, the butt slamming solidly into the ground like a gavel and signaling the end of the meeting.

And as the transmission ended, Aporro clasped her hands in front of her face and closed her eyes.

Things were finally starting to go right.

* * *

Vicenta's head throbbed and she groaned, mixed blood and spit pouring out of her mouth.

Too weak to shiver like she had been doing, the cold of the cave seeped into her body and dried her throat, and soon the air she was breathing tickled her throat unpleasantly and she coughed.

It started small, but it quickly grew until the muscles in her stomach and sides were convulsing, her back curving as air rattled out of her lungs. Her throat burned and the taste of blood in her mouth was freshened…

And then, even though her throat still itched, she didn't have the energy to cough anymore and simply lay there, breathing strained and harsh.

She wasn't sure how much later it was, but suddenly someone grabbed her by her hair and hoisted her up, her still tied legs dangling and her toes barely scraping the floor as a burst of someone's hot breath hit the side of her face.

"Let's go," Murmured the voice of Marccia Bones, "Daramos is _dying_ to meet you…"

Despite it all, Vicenta refused to let herself tremble…

…Though never before, in her life, had she wanted her mother more.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sacntuary~!

Szayel Likes the Booty…?

Sometimes, Vicenta is utterly amazed at how blatantly oblivious her parents can be about the double standards they hold her and Grimmjow and themselves to when it comes to 'decency'.

For example, when Vicenta and Aporro go to the human world and bring back skimpy outfits, while Grimmjow is whistling appreciatively and eating Vicenta with his eyes as if he were ravenous, Szayel just takes one look at his daughter in her backless halter top and short shorts and sneers.

"Honestly, Vicenta, has becoming this boy's mate caused you to lose _every_ last ounce of decency you possess?! Get back in your room and get a coat on, young lady."

Grimmjow rolls his eyes, hugging Vicenta close and grumbling, "Fuckin' prude."

Vicenta just sighs and shakes her head, then glances at the bathroom door in her parent's room and grins, watching as her mother walks out in her white, super short, cut-off-just-below-the-chest spaghetti strap tank top with her white, tight-as-fuck miniskirt.

Vicenta then nearly bursts out laughing when her father takes one look at his mate and lets his jaw drop, his eyes widening until his lashes can actually be seen above and below the rims of his glasses.

Aporro looks at her mate and smirks, quirking a brow, then spins until her back is facing him and grabs her hips, glancing back over her shoulder with a pout, "Szayel, does this make my butt look big?"

"…Vicenta, Grimmjow, out."

Vicenta exaggerates a pout, "But Daaaaddyyy—"

"Out, out, out!"

Vicenta squeaks and drags Grimmjow out as ceros chase them to the door, laughing loudly as the door shuts behind them and there's a bang, a muffled thump, and the sound of Aporro yelping Szayel's name back in the room.

Vicenta had never really thought of her father as an ass man…


	23. He of the Shade

*droops* I forgot to put this in last chapter… Last chapters episode of 'Fun in The Sanctuary~!' was suggest by Bladre MKT~!

ALL HAIL BLADRE~!

Also, if you have a suggestion for a 'Fun in The Sanctuary~!' topic, feel free to submit it and I'll do my best to write it. ^.^

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

The moment they burst through the thick layer of sand and set foot on the surface land, Vicenta fell to her knees and spat up sand, rubbing her hands against her clamped shut and sand-caked eyes.

Marccia had given her no time to prepare herself and had, literally, dragged her through the sandy layer between the world below and the surface, and all the young Arrancar had time to do was clamp her eyes tightly shut.

Several wounds on her face and neck stung dully, and she was sure she was going to have a Marccia's hand-shaped contusion on her upper arm, not to mention a nasty bruise around her shoulder where her arm had nearly popped out of the socket.

Vicenta was going to kick Stark's _ass_ later for never giving her a proper display of just how powerful a Vasto Lorde class could be, the lazy prick…

Despite still feeling indignantly angry, Vicenta was starting to grasp just how outclassed she was, and was more than slightly anxious to meet this 'Daramos' that Vaida seemed so terrified of and Marccia seemed so reverent towards…

Still, she tried to reason, there was _no way in hell_ this guy could be any stronger than Stark, so she didn't feel _completely_ unprepared…

An annoyed sigh from next to her snapped Vicenta out of her trailing and irrational thoughts, and she ground her teeth and hissed when strong, slim fingers grabbed her by her hair and jerked her back to her feet.

Marccia gave her a thin smile, though her eyes were narrowed and detached slightly, giving her an impatient air, "Are you done lazing around yet? Yes? Good." The woman then turned sharply on her bare heel and started storming off, her hand wrapping around Vicenta's arm like a vice and dragging her along.

Weak and in pain, Vicenta bit the inside of her lip and stumbled after her, glancing around when several nervous-looking Adjuchas walked either alongside them or behind them.

Well, that wasn't good…

Vicenta figured that, since the jackal-faced Adjuchas who had 'found' Gavilan Pintado was amongst them, they were Marccia's followers, and if they were edgy and Marccia was short-tempered (as she seemed), then this 'Daramos' guy was probably excessively powerful.

Which was bad news for Vicenta, no matter how she looked at it.

After all, Daramos was the one who had destroyed the first pod, for whatever reason.

And, frankly, she wasn't exactly looking forward to finding out the reason.

Still, Marccia wasn't giving her a choice, and as the redhead pulled Vicenta along the young Arrancar quickly went from pretending to stumble to actually stumbling, her panting getting heavier and heavier and the pain in her lungs only worsening.

For all of her natural skill at running, Vicenta's many years underground in laboratories had done nothing for her endurance, and her weak scientist's lungs suddenly felt as though they had a rib or a spike going through them.

Though Vicenta knew that nothing had been pieced by anything, she still found herself looking down at her abdomen to make sure nothing had impaled her.

Of course, there was nothing in terms of impaling items or blood; nothing but a dirty yet intact and still mostly white jacket.

No injuries; just a cramp.

Wonderful…

"Pay attention!" Marccia snapped when Vicenta tripped, the woman sneering as she jerked the young Arrancar to her feet when she tripped over a rock, "And can't you go any faster?!"

"Maybe if my feet weren't still recovering from blood deprivation!" Vicenta snapped, as her feet were, indeed, still cold and tingling slightly from having been tied up for so long.

Marccia narrowed her eyes at her, then faced ahead again and flashed onward.

Vicenta's feet jerked out from under her and she couldn't hold back a screech of pain, her shoulder _actually_ making a sound as the joint protested.

Marccia seemed to be ignoring her, though, all of her attention directed towards their destination.

It was official; Marccia was stressed about meeting Daramos.

And Vicenta could see why…

…Hueco Mundo was a desert; it doesn't get much more barren than a desert.

At least, that's what Vicenta had thought.

Her mind changed, though, the second they set foot on Daramos' territory.

Vicenta could actually _tell_ where Daramos' territory began; the sand went from soft and whispering to hard and crunchy in an instant, each footfall sounding like the breaking of bones.

The quartz trees that dotted the landscape like they did in the rest of Hueco Mundo were all broken short, some charred at the edges and the rest split so that the trunks were splayed out like millions of sharp, glittering, razor-edged petals of flowers, facing the sky and ready to impale anyone who wasn't careful with their path.

Unlike the rest of Hueco Mundo, there were no small signs of life; no small lizards or snakes darting in and out of the sands. Just miles of hard, rolling landscape punctuated only by the occasional gust of wind.

Then, just as quickly as the sand had hardened, it suddenly hardened further; in fact, it solidified.

The pain that shot up her legs when the heavy footfalls she'd been using to propel herself across the impeding sands was suddenly too much, and Vicenta winced and looked down, her eyes widening slightly when she saw the desert had become flat, smooth white stone.

Her arm was jerked sharply yet again before Vicenta realized they had stopped, and when she looked up from observing the ground she had to forgo glaring at Marccia to stare at who they had stopped in front of.

There, lounging in a giant skull of some former Hollow's mask, sat the figure of a young man.

However, his humanoid build was where his similarities with the human species ended; everything after that was purely Hollow.

The male Vasto Lorde's skin was the color of tar, which sharply contrasted with the white bone he was reclined on and made him seem even darker.

Jagged, bright red markings lined his chiseled torso like scars, and one thick strip of red ran down each leg, starting from somewhere underneath the makeshift trousers he wore.

As Vicenta and Marccia came to a stop before him, his closed eyes snapped open to reveal bright yellow irises. They didn't glow, Vicenta noted, like her Mother's and Father's did when they were angry. No, instead the yellow of his eyes was simply a naturally bright color, almost so they were white.

Tracing from the bottom up, his mask started at the tip of his nose, a thin shell of bone tracing the bridge up between his eyes before spreading across the top of his skull, several slices of bone slightly loose in his relaxation.

A single long, spine-ridged, thick black reptilian tail was draped over his legs, its spiked tip flicking in sudden irritation.

Vicenta's attention went right from his tail to his feet, which she noticed were scaled, zygodactic claws, just like the footprint that she'd found on her late PAPA unit.

And, like she had theorized back then, he was _massive_; not in girth, but height, as he was a man who could easily stare down not only Stark, but possibly Kenpachi Zaraki.

And his reiatsu…

The moment his eyes flickered over to meet hers, Vicenta felt as though a bottomless, sucking void had opened beneath her, a mountain of stone falling down on top of her to push her through and knocking the air straight out of her lungs.

She wasn't even aware that she'd passed out until she opened her eyes again and found herself staring at the night sky instead of the man who could only be Daramos.

Vicenta found out she hadn't been unconscious long, though, because as soon as the ringing had cleared from her ears she heard the talking start.

"What have you brought me, Marccia?" The man asked in an oddly soft, smooth voice.

"This, Daramos, is the Broken One who made the pod that attacked you."

…Attacked…? Vicenta felt lightheaded.

Vicenta didn't even have time to blink before he was standing over her, staring down at her with his bright, bright eyes.

"So, you're the heathen bitch responsible for that giant black rock…?"

"…Not a rock…" Vicenta mumbled, her body threatening to pass out on her again as she met his eyes, "Wasn't… supposed to attack…"

"…Is that right?" Daramos asked softly, slowly starting to turn, "Then explain this."

Even weaker than she was before, Vicenta wasn't able to hold back a scream when Marccia's hand buried itself in her hair and jerked her up, flaming pain spreading along her scalp as her feet left the ground and she had her face shoved uncomfortably close to the powerful Vasto Lorde's back.

Even in her pain and reeling, though, Vicenta could still see it clearly; a deep, deep, very deep, clean and perfectly straight burn running down his back, all of the skin that had previously filled the void gone and leaving behind nothing but eschar.

She could actually _see_ his ribs and sections of his spine protruding, and the hardened flesh of the channel was a pale, sickly white that displayed the burned black veins beneath the thick scar.

A wound that, on any other creature, would have resulted in an either immediate or slow and painful death.

And now, on top of everything else, Vicenta felt like she was going to be sick.

"Wha…" She rasped, her head spinning, "Wha…"

"Your pod did this." Daramos explained simply, turning back towards her, his eyes narrowed, "Your pod and the red beam that came from it."

Vicenta stared at him in utter confusion, her legs buckling as soon as Marccia had lowered her enough to stand on her own two feet.

Suddenly, it struck her; she knew what had happened.

"The laser grid…" She rasped in shock, her eyes widening, "The beam concentration… I must have miscalculated for relative distance in comparison to the amount of force the reishi density in the air would have put on the beam and forced it to concentrate… For the old unit that didn't burn energy as cleanly, it… it probably should have been configured so the energy output was less…"

Daramos stared at her with a fathomless expression.

As Vicenta continued to meet his eyes, her thoughts swirled ever more and more, and without thinking about it she found herself mumbling, as if from outside of her body, "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… That… I should have tested that before I launched it…"

Daramos stared at her for a moment longer, then slowly quirked a hairless brow, "Are you actually apologizing?"

"…I am…" Vicenta mumbled, her eyelids slipping closed and her body starting to go limp, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pissed about everything else, but… Despite… despite everything that's happened… I am sorry for that… I am… sorry for the pain you had to suffer… because I was careless… and far too giddy about launching the project…"

"…I see…" Daramos blinked down at her as Marccia let her go, watching with mild curiosity as the young Arrancar collapsed, her head smacking the smooth slab of stone rather loudly. "Well, I suppose under the circumstances I can forgive you…"

Mild shock ran through Vicenta's body… either that or pain.

"…However, you and yours aren't getting off the hook that easily…"

Vicenta's eyesight started to dim, the world going black…

"After all… half-bred beasts such as yourselves really are just a smear on our world."

Even in the darkness, Vicenta still felt like she was being smothered.

* * *

Daramos stared down at the creature dully, then walked back over to his seat and flopped down, waving dismissively in Marccia's direction. "Thank you for delivering her, Marccia. You can go now…"

Marccia frowned at him slightly; despite her natural aversion to being around her own kind, she still felt inexplicably drawn to him and was reluctant to go…

Still, as if she were actually about to _disobey Daramos_.

The thought was nearly enough to make her laugh, but Marccia suppressed it and leaned over to grab Vicenta and drag her back to her territory.

"She stays."

Marccia blinked, then tilted her head up and looked at Daramos questioningly.

He wasn't even looking at her, though; his eyes were closed and his face was turned skyward, one arm bent behind his head in lieu of a pillow.

She wanted to ask… However, when she lingered too long, Marccia felt pressure slam down on her and she narrowed her eyes, hissing as her own pressure instinctually fought back.

Though hers wasn't as strong as his, it still held him at bay and prevented her from feeling pain…

Not that pain was his intention; it was a warning, as well as something of a challenge.

But it was one Marccia wasn't about to ignore and/or accept.

Growling and baring her teeth at him in a threatening manner, Marccia lowered her body slightly before flashing and disappearing.

And as Marccia ran back towards her territory, she slowly became more and more _pissed_.

How could Daramos suddenly treat her as if she were nothing?! After all she'd done to help him in his ambitions?! After the trouble she'd had to endure with Gillo?! After the danger she had put herself in to retrieve that little Arrancar bitch?!

How could he just cast her aside and speak to her as if she were nothing?!

And just when she'd delivered the little bi— …That was it!! That little chit must have done something to catch his attention!!

Infuriated, Marccia didn't notice the figure that appeared right in front of her until something slammed into her chest heavily and she was sent sprawling on her back.

Marccia stared up at the sky, stunned, then screeched and flailed when a thick, heavy foot pressed down onto her chest.

She looked up into Gillo's face and cursed at him profusely, only to be silenced when he ground his foot down and asked in a deadly calm tone:

"Where is Vaida?"

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

the only time he's calm…

Aporro turns towards her mate slowly, carefully propping herself up on one elbow and looking him up and down.

The only time he's ever really calm, the only time he's ever really peaceful, is when he's asleep… and she loves to watch him when he's like this.

When the finely tuned hold he has on his reiatsu unravels, allowing his essence to leak into the air.

When his creased brows and near perpetual working frown smooth, the muscles in his face twitching slightly from the strain of being held in place all day.

When his shoulders, always rolled back in good posture, slump into a position only his body will admit is far more comfortable.

When he isn't dressed from neck to foot in concealing yet tight clothes.

When he isn't calculating, when he isn't plotting, when he doesn't have something sinister stirring beneath the surface.

When she can hover over his form and trail one finger down his back and smile at how he squirms.

When she can lean over, pull his loose sleeping shirt aside at the collar and kiss his skin, just to see him smile genuinely.

When she can ease him into her arms and hold him close for a bit, coddle him and treat him like he's fragile.

When she can watch him complain softly when she pulls away.

When he has his guard down…

…And then, when she's done having her soft moments, when she can grin and pounce on him, just to hear him scream like a little girl and tease him about it.

"Hyaaa~!"

"AH-APORRO!!"

…Though no matter how much fun the end might be, she still prefers the prelude; when he's sleeping.

The only time he's calm…


	24. Support

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Aporro stood by the senkaimon and watched as the three captains and three seated officers walked through, a wide smile on her face as she (unlike her fellow Arrancar who had come to watch the arrival with her) bowed respectfully.

"Captain Kuchiki, Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Ukitake… I cannot begin to express my gratitude towards you for responding to this situation so readily."

"Responding quickly to situations such as these is vital." Byakuya said in his usual monotone, nodding to the woman slightly when she stood straight, "And it is a well known fact that, would the scenario be in reverse, you would respond the exact same way… even if you had to badger and nag your fellows into doing it, Aporro."

Aporro grinned at the noble, snickering. Stuffy bastard though he was, he could have a very amusing sense of humor… A dry one, but one that made Aporro giggle, nonetheless.

It kinda reminded her of Szayel's sense of humor… Minus the pink hair and the fruitiness.

"We don't have time for banter." Hitsugaya cut in, scowling, "Let's get going; ever minute wasted is another the girl is left out there."

Aporro's mood immediately plummeted and her eyes started watering, a thick rasp coating her voice as she nodded and mumbled, "R-Right…"

Hitsugaya noticed her about to cry and his eyes widened, one hand coming up in a defensive maneuver and a lost look crossing his face as if he didn't know how to handle emotions, "Wha… uh… I…"

Beside Aporro, Szayel sighed heavily, "Aporro…"

"'m fine." She said thickly.

"No, let's take you back to the room." Szayel insisted in his smoothly commanding voice, reaching out and setting his hand on her shoulder to direct her to the door.

"I said I'm fine!" Aporro snapped, flinging her hand out and smacking him in the stomach. Pointedly ignoring her mate when he doubled over and hacked, Aporro nodded to the shinigami and gestured to them, "Follow me."

The shinigami watched with quirked brows as she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, then followed.

"So, Mrs. …Grantz…" Ichigo began hesitantly.

Aporro instantly turned on him and flashed over, stopping with her face centimeters from his as she hissed, "Don't call me 'Mrs.' anything and make me sound so fucking old!"

Ichigo paled and stared up at her, his eyes wide. On either side of him, Ikkaku and Yumichika remained stationary, and back at the front of the group the captains were silent.

Aporro blinked, then her lips slid back into place over her teeth and she stepped back, her hand flying up to her mouth as she stared at Ichigo in shock, "I… I… Fuck, Ichigo, I'm so sorry!" She sighed and rubbed her arm, glancing off to the side and mumbling, "Lately, I've found myself getting angry over the most irrational things…"

"U-Uh… That's fine… Aporro…?" Ichigo tested, sighing and relaxing slightly when she didn't lunge for his throat, "You're worried about your daughter, I get it. If anything happened to Yuzu or Karin…"

Though he didn't finish his sentence, Aporro nodded like she understood, "Yeah… Family things like this cause stress…"

Ichigo nodded again, then continued his question, "So, who all from here is joining the search party?"

Aporro blinked, then turned and started walking again, speaking as she did, "Tesla, Halibel, Grimmjow and myself."

"So, Szayel has let you carry Barracuda Bicuda for this?" Jushiro blinked, looking down at her hip and noticing the absence of her zanpakuto.

"No." Aporro sighed, shaking her head, "He's still hiding it. I don't need it, though, since we're not planning a full-scale war… Besides…" Her face darkened and her eyes narrowed, a faint purple outline glowing around her body, "I want to tear into that bitch Marccia with my bare hands."

Jushiro frowned but said nothing, glancing at Byakuya and Hitsugaya, instead.

Both captains were already glancing at him; they knew. On top of retrieving Vicenta, the shinigami would also have to keep tabs on Aporro and, if necessary, forcibly subdue her.

Though this should have been viewed as a problem (and, indeed, in formal reports it would be addressed as such), the shinigami knew how she was… and, frankly, they expected no less.

In fact, if they _didn't_ have to forcibly subdue Aporro after this, then they would have been worried.

When they arrived at the front door of the complex, Halibel, Grimmjow and Tesla were already waiting for them, the Arrancar in clean uniforms with their zanpakuto actually strapped to their persons. (Actually, that observation really only applied to Halibel, who was one of the few Arrancar who didn't frequently carry their zanpakuto anymore.)

Aporro nodded to them, then turned to Jushiro, "Your usual room is ready; as soon as Szayel is done being a sissy about a gut shot, he'll be by to discuss your station with you."

Jushiro nodded, "Of course. Good luck."

Aporro smiled, then turned and started to key in the password to the doors.

They were just starting to open when—

"APORRO!"

She twitched and glared down the hall, watching as Szayel turned the corner sharply and stormed over to them, one brow twitching.

"We've been over this." The former Octava hissed, "You are not going."

"Yes, I am." Aporro hissed back, turning to the doors and starting to storm up the stairs.

The shinigami moved to (hesitantly) follow, but blinked when their Arrancar companions just stood on either side of the hall, clearing a path and not moving.

Soon, though, they learned why, and then they, too, were clearing a path to allow Szayel to aim a tranquilizer handgun at his mate's back and fire.

Aporro turned around in a flash, catching the dart between her pointer and index fingers and grinning triumphantly, "Ha!"

Szayel just glared at her flatly and fired off several more rounds.

Aporro's eyes widened and she dodged as many as she could before finally just holding up her arm, four red-fletched darts burying their needles into her skin.

She still threw Szayel a triumphant grin, though, and Szayel blinked when she pointed to the darts in her arm.

"HA!" Aporro barked, bearing her teeth as she grinned, "BOOM, BITCH! TRY AGAIN! I AM _IMMUNE_ TO THESE FUCKERS!"

In a flash, another dart, this one with blue synthetic fletching, nailed her between the eyes, which rolled back into her head as she dropped flat, falling backwards and knocking her head against a step.

"Did you really think something as basic as your _immune system_ would stop me from stopping you?" Szayel murmured pointless with a sigh as he walked over to her prone form, picking her up and turning to Halibel with a nod, "You know where you're going, correct?"

"I do." Halibel nodded, "The section above the Grove of White Trees was originally part of my territory; I know the area well."

"Good." Szayel turned to the shinigami captains, cradling his mate close to his chest as he spoke clearly, "Tesla has communication devices that he will pass out to you when you're above the sands, as they'll malfunction if you try to turn them on down here. They will link you directly to my computer and handheld; should anything go wrong, contact me immediate and I will petition for more assistance from the Seireitei. If all else fails, we can always send Stark out. Even if things go smoothly, contact me in no more than four hours for a status report." Behind him, the doors opened fully and the winds blew in and tore at his hair, preventing them from seeing his eyes, "…Find her. And… good luck…"

The rescue party nodded, then walked past him and to the world of white sand above.

Szayel walked to the bottom of the staircase and turned back, looking up and watching with disheveled hair as they walked out of view and the doors closed behind them.

The reishi barriers turned back on and a heavy oppression that wasn't entirely metaphorical settled over the area.

After a moment, rustling from behind him made Szayel turn back and nod to Jushiro, "Ah, yes… Let's get you settled in, shall we?"

The captain, though, wasn't fooled by his 'cool as a cucumber' charade; he could see the worn look on the former Espada's face and the slight slump in his shoulders as he held Aporro.

"That's fine." Jushiro insisted gently, smiling and holding up his hands, "Aporro said it was my usual room, and I know where that is well enough. You should really get her to bed…"

Szayel paused, then sighed and nodded, "Very well, then… Thank you."

Jushiro just nodded, still smiling, then turned and walked off.

Sighing as the man turned the corner, Szayel looked down at his mate, frowning when she saw how pale she was and how tears were, once again, pouring down her face.

Sometimes, he really couldn't understand how she could be Hollow-like in her rage, yet so human-like in her emotional weakness…

Shaking his head and realizing that, as always, he would have to be emotionally stable enough for both of them, Szayel let a look of utter, cold neutrality slip onto his features as he looked ahead stonily and started to walk back to their room.

His heels clicked with an unnatural loudness against the floors and echoed down the halls, and though he knew they were hardly the only inhabitants of the compound it seemed to emphasize a certain… emptiness.

As if the fact that his daughter no longer stalked the halls as he was so prone to doing had taken a certain life out of the place.

Up until that point, Szayel had been able to ignore it and immerse himself in work, but with his mate curled up weakly against his chest, her tears soaking into his jacket and her body trembling lightly, Szayel suddenly couldn't pretend that it wasn't happening anymore.

While he was, undoubtedly, a Grantz, and thus would be able to hide any… '_emotion_'-type things he might feel, he was still forced to acknowledge that something life-changing was going on, and that if the situation worsened then things would no longer be the same.

Being the practical man he was, Szayel was forced to consider how he would deal with things… if his daughter died.

…He could deal with it. Easily.

Being who he was, Szayel was used to watching beings come and go in his life, and knowing what he was he had never really allowed himself to form emotional attachments.

Though he knew that complete neutrality would be impossible in this situation if something _did_ happen to Vicenta, Szayel knew he was perfectly capable of putting on a cold front and dealing with most of what would follow in a neat and orderly fashion.

But Aporro?

No…

No, Aporro was still far too human, would always be far too human.

If something happened to Vicenta, she would be utterly devastated.

Szayel knew that she would fall into a depression so deep that no amount of medication would pull her back out, and short of drugging her into a coma Szayel found himself at an absolute loss as to how he would handle Aporro if things didn't go well…

Szayel already knew he would be wholly powerless to help his mate, and even as a hypothetical thought the situation did not sit well with him _at all_.

After all, he was _Szayel Aporro Grantz_; **no** situation was supposed to be beyond his control when the variables belonged to him.

And his mate definitely belonged to him…

Sighing and shaking his head, Szayel walked into their room and tapped the door closed behind him with the back of his foot, walking over to the bed and laying Aporro out at the foot of it.

He then began to carefully remove the darts from her skin, her clothes quickly following before he procured a first aid kit and started tending to the bloody spots that lined her arm, not to mention the one on her forehead.

When she didn't so much a stir, Szayel quirked a brow and pressed his fingers to her throat, both brows shooting up and his lips pursing when he felt how slow her heart rate was.

Wonderful. He'd drugged her into the early stages of bradycardia…

He'd have to stay up all night making sure her heart didn't stop. Again.

…Well, at least it was something to do. Besides, he would have to remain glued to her hip for awhile as it was to make sure she didn't try to escape and go join the search party.

Fortunately, she was drugged and still had no idea where her zanpakuto was.

Unfortunately, this was _Aporro_ he was going to have to bodily restrain.

…He would have to keep Stark on call.

Shaking his head, Szayel walked over to their dresser and pulled out one of her nightgowns, unzipping it as he walked back over to the bed and easing her up.

When she proved to be more deadweight than he had originally figured, Szayel sighed heavily and hefted her up onto her feet, draping her arms over his shoulders and adjusting her so she was leaning against him.

Struggling slightly, Szayel grabbed her nightgown again and eased it onto her shoulders, carefully working her arms into the sleeves.

When it came to zipping her up, Szayel grasped her collar firmly and tried to do so with one hand… only to have her feet slip between his.

Szayel's eyes widened and he flailed to wrap his arms around her, letting out a rather unscientific 'urk' when her hands caught against his mask and her sudden weight in his not-so-stable grip sent them toppling, her backwards onto the bed and him forwards, right on top of her.

His arms trapped under her body and his waist between her knees, Szayel sighed heavily into her breasts and started squirming, trying to stand.

When the door suddenly opened behind him, he froze and twitched, instantly recognizing the scandalized gasp that followed.

"_Szayel__!_" Illforte exclaimed, a wide grin painfully obvious in his voice, "Are you trying to do your mate when she's drugged _again_, bro? You _know_ what happened last time!"

Grinding his teeth, Szayel jerked himself upright and turned on his brother, narrowing his eyes threateningly and hissing, "Illforte, if you lie to Aporro about this like you did the _last_ time, she will not be able to save you again. You _will_ have your groin sliced open, and I _will_ prove once and for all that you aren't male."

"I wouldn't threaten me, bro." Illforte snickered, "You know how Aporro likes to be on _my_ side when we fight."

"She's _my_ mate!" Szayel all but whined, "She should be on _my_ side!"

"Well, she's _not_." Illforte stuck his tongue out.

Szayel twitched and had to fight the overwhelming urge to kick his brother in the shin and then go coddle his mate's prone form petulantly. Oh, how he _loathed_ his older brother…

Still, when he saw the look his older brother was giving Aporro, Szayel turned back to her and finished zipping her gown up, picking her up and moving her to her side of the bed.

"She's fine." He muttered, jerking the blankets up over her body, "She'll just… be sleeping for a while again."

"…You know, you can't solve _every_ problem with her by just drugging her." Illforte snorted, rolling his eyes, "Eventually, you're going to have to be _sensitive_."

"…It will be a cold day in hell when that happens." Szayel told his brother in a flat, heavy tone, "Now, fuck off." Szayel was one of the few people he would allow himself to be vulgar around when they were alone, because no one would believe the blonde if he decided to blab.

Illforte rolled his eyes again, then turned and walked to the door, waving over his shoulder, "Fine, fine. But when the day comes when she asks you to be more than the slab of cold stone you are, don't say I didn't warn you!"

Szayel glared after his brother, then slipped his shoes off and laid back down with Aporro, pulling her into his arms and glaring off into space with his chin on her head.

Aporro, expect him to express genuine and unadulterated emotion?

Never.

The woman knew who he was and how he was, and she knew full well never to expect him to be any more than forty percent honest with how he actually felt about something.

Even in _this_ sort of situation, she would know better than to expect him to openly sympathize.

Yes, he'd take care of her.

Yes, he'd handle all of the affairs that she usually did but was too emotional to for the moment.

Yes, he'd be there when she broke down…

But him, break down with her?

Unthinkable.

Her, expect him to break down?

Huh-uh.

Szayel, as always, would continue to be the cool, indifferent pillar of strength.

And Aporro would have no problem with it at all.

…Then again… it wouldn't be the first time the woman would have surprised him, Szayel realized with a frown as he looked down at her.

…He just hoped she wouldn't expect him to _cry_…

Softly, quietly, Aporro sobbed against his chest.

'…_Oh, bloody hell._'

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

When Fluff Attacks…!

When Szayel is conscious and neither of them have anything better to do, Aporro loves to take advantage of his aversion to soft moments and make him squeal.

It really is quite an amusing sound…

For example, when Szayel is lounging in the sitting alcove of their room, a book opened on his lap and his mind completely immersed in the pages, Aporro loves to saunter over to him and cuddle close to his side, pulling his arm around her shoulders and nuzzling his chest…

…Because he gets all red-faced and indignant and sputters.

And when he's sitting at his computer, typing intently with his focus shifting between the screen and the notes written on a clipboard, she loves to tiptoe up behind him and wrap her arms around his neck, hugging him softly and whispering endearments into his ear…

…Because he squeaks and squirms in discomfort, sometimes nearly going so far as to throw a halfhearted cero in her direction.

And when he's walking down the hall, looking stressed about the results of a recent experiment, she loves to swing herself around the corner and into his arms, melting against him submissively and pulling him down into a slow and gentle kiss…

…Because he grumbles and 'humph's against her lips, grabbing her sides and trying to push her away before giving in and letting her make him forget why he was stressed to being with.

And when he's laying out in bed on his stomach after a near week-long work binge, she loves to sit on his lower back and hover over his form, her fingers working into the muscles as she smoothes the knots out and makes him groan softly until he passes out, all so she can lay down on top of him and nuzzle between his shoulder blades before pretending to sleep…

…Because, when he wakes and isn't sure if she really is asleep or not, he won't move.

He'll lay there, perfectly still for hours sometimes, and wait for her to 'wake up'.

True, he may grumble and flush with indignation, but the fact that he'll let her rest speaks volumes, and while she won't force him to admit it she also won't let him live it down if it happens to come up in conversation.

She really does love taking advantage of his aversion to fluff…

…Because no matter what he says/how he acts/what he does, she knows he likes it, too, and that just makes her feel all sorts of giddy on the inside.

* * *

_If anyone has a topic they'd like to suggest for a 'Fun in The Sanctuary~!' episode, please feel free to do so and I'll do my best to write it out. ^.^_


	25. Sogyo no Kotowari

The topic of today's episode of 'Fun in The Sanctuary~!' was submitted by SerbiaTakesCntrl. ^.^ Thank you, and I hope you enjoy it~!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Aporro gently (not to mention groggily) took a wet, warm cloth to the heavily bruised and abused skin on Vaida's hand, working off the remnants of blood Szayel hadn't bothered to get when he'd first wrapped the young Vasto Lorde's hand.

Vaida's wings twitched and rattled together in intervals, but she refused to let out so much as a pained gasped as the woman cleaned her up.

When Szayel had suddenly come by and shoved a stumbling, sleepy Aporro into the cell, Vaida hadn't been sure what to think.

Then, when'd he'd locked them both in, she'd panicked slightly.

Now, here they were, Aporro still silent and bleary and cleaning Vaida up, and Vaida having no choice but to take it for fear that the half-conscious woman would suddenly lash out at her.

"Ur… Miss… Aporro?" Vaida began slowly after a moment when Aporro started to rewrap her hand with fresh, clean bandages, "Why… are you here?"

"Does a desperate mother need a reason to coddle someone who looks like a child?" Aporro grumbled, looking up at Vaida with a heavy glare. When Vaida just froze and stared at her nervously, Aporro groaned and shook her head, turning back to the task before her, "Agh, Szayel's drugged me on something that doesn't keep me knocked out for long periods of time but does leave me woozy as fuck… He figured keeping me in a small space while he worked would be better for everyone, since if he tried to leave me with Stark or Illforte again with nothing to do I'd be pissed."

"…Ah…" Vaida nodded slowly, shuddering and closing her eyes when Aporro started to clean up her arm.

Aporro frowned when she realized that the young Vasto Lorde's entire right arm was covered in a light coat of blood, making sure to work very gently when Vaida flinched several times.

"He really did a number on you, didn't he?" Aporro mumbled softly as she refolded the rag to get a cleaner side.

Vaida didn't answer, instead watching as the woman continued to work.

"…Why are you treating me so nice?" She asked in a low voice after a moment, grinding her teeth in indignation when Aporro gave her an incredulous look.

"Didn't I already answer that? I told you, I don't completely blame you for thi—"

"Not that, not that!" Vaida waved her off violently with her left hand, looking up at Aporro with her face twisted in confusion, "Why are you treating me… like one of your own? Like another Broken O— …Arrancar…"

"What, instead of treating you like a filthy animal?" Aporro rolled her eyes, taking a tube of lotion Szayel had left her with and starting to gently rub some onto Vaida's arm, "Because you're not. You're a Vasto Lorde, and Vasto Lordes are extremely intelligent. You're as sentient as I am; I'm not going to act like you're a rabid dog." She glanced up at the girl pointedly, "Let's not forget, I was a Hollow, too. And that I, technically, still am."

Vaida made a face of disgust, "You still think of yourself as a Hollow?"

"We all have humbler beginnings." Aporro shrugged.

"…So… you… really meant what you said when… you said you'd keep him from killing me… didn't you?" Vaida asked haltingly, looking up at Aporro with wide eyes.

Aporro smiled, nodding slowly, "Of course I did… The only person I blame here is Marccia Bones, and possibly Daramos. I'm not about to kill you for something you were coerced into."

"…Then I should warn you," Vaida sighed, glancing at the wall and wincing, "This guy I know, Gillo… he may or may not try to come and kill you guys."

"Kill us?" Aporro quirked a brow, "For what?"

"Well… uh…" Vaida sighed, her bone wings rattling as they shifted nervously, "He's… he's kinda the guy I've been mooching off of for a while, and… well… it seems like sometimes he protects me from the other Vasto Lordes, and he's not really fond of Arrancar, either, so if he finds out I'm here he might just…"

"Break down the front door and storm in." Aporro nodded understandingly, sighing, "And the only reason Marccia hasn't done that is because you're an expendable pawn and she really doesn't care if you live or die."

"…More or less." Vaida shrugged, "Though she'd probably prefer it if I die; she's gotten into trouble quite a bit with Gillo for hurting me…"

"Hmm…" Aporro nodded, again, then sat back on the small bed and leaned against the wall as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "So, technically, only about two of the Vasto Lordes seem really united… And neither you nor Gillo are one of them…" She then glanced at the young Vasto Lorde and grinned, "You don't really have to be locked up at all!"

Vaida blinked, then perked, "I don't?"

"Nope." Aporro shook her head, standing, "But you're going to be." Shrugging when Vaida drooped and glared at her with an open mouth, the Arrancar walked over to the cart Szayel had left in the room with her and rifled around, "Sorry kiddo, but this is technically war, and prisoners of war aren't let go until the conflict is over."

Vaida would have complained if she still weren't partially afraid that this woman would flip out and decide to just kill her there.

Then again, the woman did seem pretty keen on taking care of her and being maternal, so…

"Here," Aporro turned back to Vaida and offered her a plate, "Eat."

Vaida took the plate and stared down at the strange, grey sloppy hash, making a face. While it was three sure meals a day and they definitely did replenish what energy the room around her sapped, they tasted terrible and Vaida was finally starting to feel comfortable enough to complain about it.

"This stuff sucks." She grumbled, trying not to sound petulant but failing.

"Yeah, I know." Aporro nodded with a sigh, sitting down and leaning against the wall sleepily, "But it's good for you, and if you don't eat it this room is going to end up putting you in a coma."

Vaida twitched and scowled, then started shoveling food into her mouth, trying to finish before the taste registered.

As she ate, she noticed that Aporro was acting weird and watched as the woman actually nodded off right here, sitting up and in Vaida's cell.

Staring at her and thinking while she ate, Vaida wiped he hands when she was finished and briefly considered killing the Arrancar where she was…

…But, for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to finish the thought, or even move.

Yes, the woman's species disgusted her to no end, and she was royally pissed off for the situation she was in, but…

….The woman had been so good to her… Vaida couldn't bring herself to kill the woman when she was so weak…

Instead, she cleared off the bed and stood, nudging Aporro onto her side and starting to pace her cell, thinking.

Escape was impossible, that she knew; the walls were made of some weird, hard stone that didn't break when it was punched, and actually absorbed any reiatsu she poured into her fist.

The weird black mirror in the back and the weird clear wall at the other end weren't any better, and nothing on the tray would prove to be of any use; every last utensil was a slightly soft plastic.

Vaida figured she wouldn't even be able to cut skin if she broke the plastic into shards.

It seemed her only real options were to wait to be let go, or wait for Gillo to come and find her.

…The later of which she figured was a distinct impossibility, as Gillo was probably very, very pissed off at her, and probably would only encourage her Arrancar captors to teach her a lesson.

She hadn't really been lying to Aporro when she said Gillo might come looking for her, but she didn't actually figure it would be to save her, if he bothered to come at all.

So, as it stood, all there was between her and that deranged psychopath Arrancar was…

(She glanced at Aporro.)

…His drugged to shit look-alike mate.

Vaida whimpered softly.

She was screwed…

* * *

Abandoning all restraint, Gillo stormed straight over to the rough location of the Arrancar compound.

Blood was flecked across his torso and the long, ground-length wrap around his waist, his teeth were still elongated and the two flagella-like tendrils that slipped out of his back, one near each shoulder blade, whipped through the air and snapped endlessly.

His eyes still shone an eerie red from his unspent bloodlust, a state that not even doing the damage he had done to Marccia had sated in even the slightest.

That _red serpentine whore_ had not only allowed the Arrancar to capture Vaida, she'd done _nothing_ to recover her.

And that _stupid_, _incorrigible_, _foolish little brat_ Vaida had not only done _nothing_ to defend herself, she hadn't said a _word_ to Gillo the entire time that Marccia had been using her.

Yes, Gillo had known, but Vaida hadn't even hinted that things were going beyond her control, and that was pissing him off almost as badly as the thought of her being a captive was.

He did _not_ have the _patience_ to deal with this shit!

He was too old!

He'd spent more time wandering these sands to attain the level he had than most of these uppity little shits could comprehend!

Gillo had _not_ spent the energy he had on saving Vaida once just to sit back and let her be killed! Especially not by those _disgusting_, broken-masked heathens who dared call themselves inhabitants of Hueco Mundo!

Annoying as the little brat was, she didn't deserve whatever they were going to do to her…

Growling lowly, angrily in the back of his throat, Gillo stopped walking and held his hand up over his head, a large, dark ball of crimson starting to swirl and form some ten feet above him.

Without really waiting for it to reach a decent size, Gillo swung his arm down, the ball following the motion and exploding the moment it touched the sand.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds of white sand rocketed skywards, a mushroom cloud of dust lingering in the air as the heavier debris bloomed outward and cascaded down in a sparkling waterfall of rough silk.

Near the top of the crater Gillo was left staring at, a large, heavy-looking metal door remained, a sealed-off corridor attached to it at a slight angle that disappeared even further into the sand than his cero had excavated.

His reiatsu crackling around him loudly, Gillo made his slow, deliberate way over to the door, vaguely realizing that whatever the door was made of had actually absorbed and dispersed most of his dispelled reiatsu and that not even a scorch mark remained on the pristine substance.

When Gillo stood in front of the door and reached out to grab it, the vault-like mechanisms clanked slightly, and before he even made contact he felt the air around the entrance of the compound sapping his energy right from his angry aura.

Growling, Gillo flashed back and held up his arm again, another red cero forming above him.

This time, though, he focused more on it, poured more energy into it, let it grow and actually reach about a third of its true potential.

Even a third of his ceros full power was still slight overkill, he supposed, because he knew there had to be a limit on how much the material of the door could dispel, Gillo didn't much care; he was pissed, and he wanted to see something _destroyed_.

Before he could swing the cero down, though, the dozens of mechanisms that made up the vault-like door suddenly began to clank and churn, the two thick bars that ran through the center sliding past and over one another before the door slid open.

Forcing himself to calm, Gillo watched as a white-haired man in black robes and a white coat walked up from the stairs on the inside, coming to stand on the thick lip of the door frame.

"…Shinigami." Gillo muttered, sighing.

So, it was true; the Broken Ones had allied with the hunters…

"…Gillo Berenzo." The white-haired shinigami said with an amiable smile, stepping down from the doorway as it clanked shut behind him, "I must say, despite the circumstances it is an honor. So many doubted that a Hollow could live so long."

"I can't say I'm flattered to know I'm a subject of speculation." Gillo drawled icily, his stare flat and heavily lidded, "Nor can I say that I'm flattered you know my full name. Don't use it. I don't like it."

"Just Gillo, then." The shinigami nodded, still smiling, "And I'm Jushiro Ukitake."

"…That name's vaguely familiar." Gillo commented, somewhat surprised, "I believe you're almost as old as I am."

"Oh, my age doesn't even hold a candle to yours." Jushiro shook his head, chuckling, "Even the Captain-Commander knows your name off of the top of his head, and he remembers fighting you several times over rather well. You're actually part of the course curriculum at the Academy, if they haven't change it since last I visited."

"…Yamamoto…" Gillo mumbled, the iciness fleeing his tone slightly. He paused, then growled and flicked his wrist, "Enough banter. Step aside, shinigami; my fight isn't with you."

"I'm afraid it is." Jushiro's smile turned slightly sorrowful, "You see, for the time being I'm the guardian of this compound, and if you intend to break in with your reiryoku so blatantly charged for fighting then I have to stop you here."

"Do not make me drag the Seireitei into this." Gillo drawled, his tendrils snapping, "I've managed to keep from making any serious offenses towards you and yours, do not be the one to end this unstable peace."

"My apologies." Jushiro drew his zanpakuto, sighing and shaking his head, "The Arrancar are our allies; I cannot allow you to massacre them. Now, if we could talk about this—"

"I'm through talking to you." Gillo hissed, his chest swelling and his shoulders squaring as he stood to his full height, "And I have nothing to say to them."

"…Pity." Jushiro remarked regretfully, one foot shifting back and both hands grasping the hilt of his zanpakuto as he took a firm stance.

Letting out an infuriated, animalistic growl, Gillo held his arms out at his sides and leaned forward.

The air around him rippled with a single deep, resounding snap, and Jushiro's eyes widened slightly as he had to swing Sogyo no Kotowari to his right before a solid and heavy punch met his shoulder.

There was a loud clang, like metal on metal, as Gillo's fist met the flat of Sogyo no Kotowari's blade, and though Jushiro's stance was solid several bone still creaked in protest and the captain found himself shooting back through the air.

Jushiro grunted.

His blade had held off against Adjuchas and Gillian who were thousands of times larger than Gillo, but _none_ of them had had even an eighth of the force that the Vasto Lorde had put into that single blow.

And the captain wasn't one for heavy hitters… That was more Shunsui's area.

Of course, when released Jushiro would be able to hold him off for quite a while, hopefully until he received backup from one of the Arrancar, but he was hesitant to release so soon.

It hadn't even been ten seconds…

His resolve firming, Jushiro dug his feet into the sand and recovered, bending slightly at the knees and leaning forward with Sogyo no Kotowari in his right hand, his left hovering over the blades non-sharpened edge.

When Gillo appeared before him in another snap of speed, Jushiro thrust forward.

Gillo, his large hand raised above his head to bring down on the shingami's back, faltered and stepped to the side, lips drawing back over sharp teeth as he hissed at the sharp, silvery edge of the shinigami's zanpakuto slicing into his side.

Getting annoyed, Gillo flashed back a ways and raised his hand over his head, his palm facing the sky as yet another cero began to gather.

Jushiro tensed, standing straight and grasping his zanpakuto.

The air grew dense and heavy as the two men started to gather their power, the sands shaking beneath their feet and the air seeming to waver, several small explosions of sand going off around them as the small creatures that lived in the sands imploded at the force.

As Gillo's cero made it to a fourth of its potential, a third, half—

"All waves, rise now and become my shield, lightning, strike now and become my blade."

Two thin but large, pale hands grasped the red-woven hilt firmly, pulling as the blade started to rent itself in two with small crackles of blue-white electricity bathed in a red haze. As two swords were pulled from the one, a thick crimson cord kept them connected at their hilts, the bronze charms dangling from it swinging freely but somehow remaining at uniform distances.

Jushiro held one of these blades angled up at the cero as it started to crash down, starting to angle the other sword back at the cero's caster.

"Sogyo no Kotowari!"

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Fun at the Beach…!

Szayel hates, hates, _hates_ it when Aporro drags him to the human world for… _familial excursions_…

He hates going to fairs.

He hates going to festivals.

He hates going to petting zoos.

He hates going to concerts.

He hates going, _period_.

But… above all other locations, Szayel, above all else, hates to go to the beach…

And the bathing suits aren't the half of it.

The sun is terrible, and though he may not burn when he's just in soul form, he does when Aporro forces him to wear his gigai (always burns; Szayel never tans). The sands always get into every crack and crevice, no matter how special he makes the weaves of his clothes. He swears, those oily grains, more disgusting than the sands of Hueco Mundo, are far more slippery than he could ever be…

"Szayel!" Aporro calls, riding out a wave and landing skillfully on her feet as she waves an arm at him, "Get your robe off and get your ass out here before I come and drag you!" She then turns and, already chest deep, wades into the water a bit further before disappearing underneath another wave.

Szayel glares at the water after her, his cheeks burning with indignation as he angrily tears off his protective layering. Ignoring the catcalls he gets, he storms down to the water and walks straight in, scowling when sea spray mists his lenses.

When something nips sharply at his posterior, he quickly turns to fire a cero, only to remember that he's in a gigai and is left slapping at the water rather ineffectively.

When something snaps the tight waistband of his swimsuit, he spins yet again and glares heavily at his mate, standing stiffly as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"I knew you'd look sexy in a speedo." Aporro purrs, jerking him down underwater forcefully.


	26. Fall

The topic of today's episode of 'Fun in The Sanctuary~!' was submitted by SerbiaTakesCntrl. ^.^ May cookies rain down on you as an expression of my gratitude!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Ichigo trudged through the desert, scowling a bit more than usual. Crossing the sands was harder than he remembered…

Then again, the way to Las Noches had been flat and the sand far more packed from all of the activity of lesser Hollows and freak sandstorms.

Out where things were less inhabited and ruled by the Vasto Lordes, the dunes were plentiful and the grains loose, making Ichigo sink down to his knees in some areas.

"How," He panted, glaring at the person ahead of him as he trudged on, "In the _hell_… can you _stay up_?"

Yumichika rolled his eyes, tossing his hair slightly and sighing, "Oh, please. As if I would let myself sink into the sand and get itchy; then I'd end up scratching red lines into my legs, and that would be _most_ unbecoming." The (still secretive) kido practitioner sashayed on, sending out minute pulses of reiryoku through his feet to keep himself from sinking like his fellows.

Ichigo twitched and drew his lips into a fine line, glaring at his fellow Eleventh Division member, "You bastard…"

"Quit your bitching!" Ikkaku snapped, trudging on with fervor, "That burn in your ass means you're actually getting a workout! Relish it and stop being a damned woman!"

Ichigo was tempted to growl something about sexism, but knew what kind of a reaction that would incite from the man and said nothing.

Fortunately, he observed with a grin, there were certain members of the party that it didn't slip past.

Halibel stopped and turned back partway, narrowing her eyes at Ikkaku and asking in her low but clear voice, "What did you say?"

Ikkaku twitched, grinning nervously and rubbing the back of his head. The Arrancar woman was one _scary_ bitch! "N-Nothing, Miss Halibel! I just meant the whiney women, which you're definitely not!"

Halibel's already narrowed eyes slitted further.

"In fact, I didn't even think of grouping you in with women at all!" Ikkaku went on, twitching again when he realized he was only digging himself in deeper.

Halibel was glaring at him flatly though heavily lidded eyes, her reiatsu flickering in irritation.

"N-Not that I can't tell that you're a woman; it's very obvious that you are! …Not that I was looking!"

"Ikkaku," Yumichika sighed, smirking, "Stop. Just… stop."

Ikkaku shut his mouth.

Ichigo grinned.

Tesla sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

After glaring at the third seat for a few more moments, Halibel faced ahead again and continued leading the group, walking easily over the sands and not sinking in.

To her left, Tesla was finding walking on the sands just as easy, and ahead a little and to the right Grimmjow was, as well.

As Ichigo observed this, he frowned and asked, "So, why can you guys walk so easily?"

A loud snort made him glance at Grimmjow and glare when he saw the taunting smirk the former Sexta was giving him.

"We're fucking _Arrancar_, Kurosaki. These sands were once _ours_. You think we haven't long since mastered subconsciously putting out enough reiryoku to keep ourselves level?" Grimmjow barked, shaking his head and laughing.

Ichigo scowled deeply and glared, about to snap at Grimmjow and initiate another one of their famous fights when he noticed the blue-haired Arrancar glance off to the side with a scowl of his own.

As Grimmjow's eyes scanned the sands, Ichigo realized something; Grimmjow was putting on a front.

He hadn't come for no reason, after all; it was _his_ mate that was missing.

And while Ichigo didn't understand the whole 'life-mate' business, he could guess well enough from how he'd seen the woman, Aporro, act. It seemed to be a pretty binding thing…

Sighing, Ichigo let the barb go unchallenged and looked around, Zangetsu seeming to weigh down heavily on his back despite the fact that they had long since gotten over such trivialities.

"So, how do we get down to the Forest of Menos?" Ichigo asked when the silence started to become oppressive, "I mean, the last time I was there it was only because Runuganga's sinkhole swallowed us…"

"I'll take care of that." Halibel said, her voice carrying without her having to turn back or speak louder, "Just stay vigilant."

Ichigo sighed, twitching slightly. He had no idea how Arrancar could stand being so quiet in such a large group… Honestly, he found the silence unnerving, especially considering they could very well be being watched.

He knew wanting to talk when he should be focused was some remnant of human sentiment towards talking in an unnerving situation being comforting, but he couldn't bring himself to shake it.

The silence was just too oppressive…

"Kurosaki, control yourself." Byakuya remarked icily, glaring at the young shinigami when he looked at him incredulously, "Your constant fluctuations will bring unwanted attention."

Ichigo wanted to, but refrained from saying anything to his superior. Ass…

Suddenly, the Arrancar stopped and the shinigami followed suit, watching them expectantly.

Tesla took a few steps back from Halibel as she turned to the shinigami, nodding to them slightly, "Brace yourselves."

Ichigo tensed, then blinked when she lifted her leg and stomped her heel once into the sand.

Halibel then crossed her arms and bowed her head slightly, closing her eyes.

Behind her, Grimmjow stuffed his arms into his pockets and tossed his head back, baring his teeth in a scowl/grimace.

Tesla just crossed his arms behind his back.

The shinigami stared at them, confused.

"…What are we waiting for?" Hitsugaya finally asked, his patience wearing thin.

"Be patient." Was all Halibel said.

The Tenth Division Captain twitched and was about to snap when the ground beneath them started to shake, and violently.

Ichigo tense and followed Yumichika and Ikkaku's examples and spread his stance, looking around with wide eyes.

The moment the ground started sinking beneath their feet, Ichigo turned to jump out of the way, only to look over his shoulder in shock when someone grabbed his arm roughly.

Ichigo glared and snapped at Grimmjow, infuriated by the former Sexta's wide, crazed grin, "WHAT THE HELL, GRIMMJOW?"

"Just wait it out, pussy!" Grimmjow barked back, laughing as the ground opened up beneath them and they fell down into the black.

* * *

Vicenta woke with a start, shooting into a sitting position and staring off into space with wide, shocked eyes.

Groaning when she realized whatever dream she had been having had, indeed, been just a dream, she flopped back, cursing softly when her head smacked solid flooring and staring up at the night sky.

She couldn't remember what the dream had been about, but she had the sudden strengthening in her urge to see Grimmjow again…

Sudden movement to her left caused Vicenta to shoot up again and look, blinking.

A nearly impossibly tall male with nearly impossibly pitch-black skin striped with jagged red markings reclining and sleeping on the massive mask of some long dead Hollow…

Daramos.

Everything came flooding back and Vicenta's hand automatically flew to her side, and she cursed softly again when she realized that Gavilan Pintado still wasn't in her possession.

It was when the movement came again (Daramos' tail flicking as he slept, she realized) that Vicenta looked back over at the Vasto Lorde a second time and noticed it.

Gavilan Pintado was by him, its dull grey sheath propped upright and at an angle with the basket wire guard hooked in a cranny of Daramos' mask chair/bed.

Slowly, Vicenta looked between Daramos and her zanpakuto.

She wasn't stupid… She knew the odds were very high that if she tried to take her zanpakuto and flee, Daramos would be on her quicker than she could comprehend.

He probably wasn't even sleeping…

Still… she couldn't just bring herself to sit there and do nothing.

Vicenta felt she _had_ to made some attempt to get away…

She supposed she could blame her mother, Vicenta thought as she stood slowly, taking a moment to work on her balance.

_Still reeling from our initial meeting…_ Vicenta glanced at Daramos, still passively floored by how powerful he was.

Her head was swimming and her knees were weak, tinnitus making her pause and close her eyes until it passed.

When it had, Vicenta took a few experimental steps, bending and stretching her legs before she was finally confident that she was near enough to her usual stability to go on.

It was then she turned towards Daramos and started creeping over, her eyes quickly shifting between his face, lungs, hands, and then back again. She had to keep an eye on his vitals, make sure he didn't stir… Though she didn't have much of a grasp on how his reiatsu felt when he was awake, at rest it seemed average enough for her to think he wasn't faking.

Then again, her senses were still muddled by the sheer mass of his presence, so Vicenta didn't entirely trust her judgment.

Still, she continued to inch forward, some push, some itch in her not allowing her to stop.

As she got closer and closer, the air got thicker and harder to breathe.

Even while sleeping Daramos had an excellent hold on his reiryoku, but the range of his presence's reach was huge; she was still fifteen feet from him and her legs were already starting to shake again.

But she still didn't stop.

When Vicenta finally wrapped her fingers around her zanpakuto, she couldn't control the raggedness in her breathing and her eyes were locked on Daramos' face, checking his breathing and movements completely slipping her mind.

Checking his tail slipped her mind, too.

When it touched her back, Vicenta froze, her eyes widening.

Out of what she assumed to be instinct, the appendage wrapped around her waist, and though Daramos hadn't opened his eyes or showed any sign of being awake Vicenta was still terrified.

Time seemed to slow, and when his tail finally let her go Vicenta couldn't stop herself from using sonido and shooting back, her hands shaking and her lungs gasping air when it was finally back at a breathable level.

And still, Daramos didn't move.

He was taunting her, Vicenta realized as paranoia set in.

He was awake, he was aware, he _knew_ she was making to escape.

And he was going to let her think she could escape.

Vicenta _knew_ the psychology of it; better than he was giving her credit for.

And she was going to _show_ him.

Not even her father got away with trying to fuck with her like this.

Suddenly and irrationally infuriated, Vicenta ground her teeth and spun around, not bothering to try to discern which direction she was facing as she crouched sonidoed off.

Though she had kept her presence as concealed as possible, the moment Vicenta stepped off of the solid flooring and onto the stiff and crunching sand, Daramos' presence behind her flared.

At that point, timing was everything.

Vicenta set her hand on the hilt of Gavilan Pintado and drew partway, grinding her teeth and doing her best to judge Daramos' distance without looking back. She continued to run, focusing on her breathing and his presence as the stiff sand crunched under her feet.

He seemed to be going to slow…

Five.

He was forty meters back…

Four.

He was thirty-two meters back…

Three.

He was twenty-four meters back…

Two.

He was eleven meters back…

One…

Two meters and—

"Whip, Gavilan Pintado!"

Vicenta rocketed forward, Daramos quickly falling behind.

But she still didn't relax and continued fleeing, heading straight for a jutting rock on the horizon.

And as she knew he would, Daramos quickly began to catch up again.

Panic, which had previously been nothing more than a loose veil around her person, settled in and Vicenta started to hyperventilate, pushing herself harder than she ever had before and speeding straight on.

She could practically feel him breathing down her neck when her feet finally started slapping against the stone, and she continued running straight up the side to the highest point. There, she jumped.

Vicenta felt the stone crack and crumble underneath for only a second before she was airborne and shooting straight into the starless black sky.

As she started to lose momentum, Vicenta realized she still had no idea what she was doing.

Daramos was awake and right behind her, and she had no feasible way to escape.

But she still _couldn't quit_.

_I'm too much like my mother to quit…_

Vicenta held out her hand, her other still gripping her zanpakuto tightly.

Putting everything she hadn't put into running, Vicenta poured her heart into her hand…

And fired a single, strong blue beam off into the distance.

And not even the hand that wrapped itself around her ankle and jerked her back down towards the ground managed to stop it.

* * *

Vicenta stared up into Daramos' furious face groggily, her back throbbing in pain and her head uncomfortably light and fuzzy.

"You know…" Daramos hissed, the slices of his mask on top of his head laying flat against his scalp, drawing the skin tight and causing his eyes to narrow and his lips to draw back tautly over his teeth, "If you do something like this again, I just may abandon my plans of keeping you alive, using you to lure your family out and just skip to the part where I tear your half-bred body to pieces."

Vicenta couldn't say anything, just staring up at him blankly.

"And what a shame that would be…" Daramos sighed, setting his hand on her stomach and digging his nails in slightly, "Because then I wouldn't be able to break them by telling them about what's growing in here…"

Vicenta didn't even have time to think about what he meant before her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out.

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

Rainy Day…

Sometimes, Aporro thinks that Szayel really does go too far with his experiments…

This latest night, Aporro was jerked awake when Szayel shot into a sitting position, his eyes wide and his hair plastered to his temples with cold sweat as he rasped, "Weather machine…"

Now, not ten hours later, Aporro is watching as Szayel adjusts several long, spindly wires coming out of a black ball, the whole thing very reminiscent of a sea urchin.

"Shouldn't you try this… outside?" Aporro asks with a quirked brow, glancing around the vastly spacious but still indoor and underground warehouse, one of many Szayel uses for large-scale experimentation.

"Of course not." Szayel grunts, wrestling with the wires that easily dwarf him as the charge running along them attracts his hair and clothes with static cling, "This machine isn't nearly large enough to affect the weather in Hueco Mundo. Besides," He tears himself away, panting and straightening himself back into perfection, "The emergency off switch is down here."

Aporro nods, barely holding back a laugh at how several strands of hair still stick straight up.

Szayel doesn't fail to notice and jerks off his gloves with a scowl, bending over and rubbing the ground with bare hands to destroy the charge in his skin before reaching up and flattening his hair. "You know when to hit the switch, when and if it is necessary."

Aporro nods again, still smirking as Szayel backs away from his giant 'weather urchin' and pulls a small cylindrical device with a button on the top out of his pocket.

When he presses it, the weather urchin twitches and crackles, its many spines starting to sway softly as volts of blue, snapping energy run along and between them.

Along the sides of the room, long and precisely organized troughs of water start to bubble and hiss, and in seconds the room is muggy. Aporro quirks a brow when broiling black clouds from along the ceiling. She had been so sure that such things were supposed to be physically impossible…

Then again, when Szayel was haunted by an idea, stranger things had happened…

When it starts pouring rain, Aporro grabs the umbrella she had brought out of impulse and opens it, staying dry and quirking a brow when Szayel ends up quickly doused.

She sighs when Szayel starts doing the 'mad scientist cackle' that he does whenever one of his experiments goes right, then chokes on a laugh when he jumps at a bolt of lightning hitting the weather machine.

Cold room plus hot air from an overheating machine equals everything they need for a thundershower…

Abandoning her umbrella, Aporro falls onto her side and rolls around, laughing madly as Szayel starts running away from several strikes of lightning. Hitting the emergency off switch slips her mind (quite a feat, considering it's right next to her, bright red, and the size of a basketball).

And as Szayel keeps running (and screaming at her to "HIT THE FUCKING SWITCH ALREADY!"), Aporro makes a mental note to take Szayel to the human world sometime and make him walk around in jeans during a storm…

…Preferably one without lightning.


	27. A Sudden Alliance

The topic of today's episode of 'Fun in The Sanctuary~!' was submitted by SerbiaTakesCntrl. ^.^ May cookies rain down on you as an expression of my gratitude!

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

Szayel stared at the screen in his lab, rewinding the clip and playing it over and over and over again.

And several times over the same scene played.

In the window opened on the screen, there was a black sky overlooking white sands, and across that black sky sliced a blue/white beam.

Over and over and over as Szayel rewound and played, rewound and played.

One of his observer cameras recorded the footage and categorized it underneath 'Immediate Attention Needed' for him, and as soon as he'd seen it all else had been erased from his mind.

It took him a bit of time (and quite a bit of reading over the specs that had come with the footage) to process, and when he finally did he realized what he was looking at.

It was, undoubtedly, his daughter's cero.

She was alive.

She was alive and well enough to fire a cero.

Szayel sighed and dropped his head into his hands, his shoulders slouching.

His protégé was alive…

She wasn't anywhere near where the rescue party had gone off to, but she was _alive_.

And as soon as Ukitake was done fighting the Vasto Lorde out in front of El Sanctuario, more people could be sent out to retrieve her.

…Until then, Szayel would just have to keep his mate from finding out about this development, or he wouldn't be able to contain her, even with the new sedatives. Though they left her too impaired to move properly, she did wake up from them much quicker than she had with the old serum.

Ah, the ups and downs that came to tweaking chemical formulae…

Shaking his head, Szayel turned his attention back to the fight with Ukitake and Gillo, watching as they exchanged blows and sighing when he realized that they had not only taken the fight away from The Sanctuary, but they were also alone.

No sign of Aporro.

Relieved, Szayel leaned back in his seat and watched the fight.

After Szayel had indulged Aporro and allowed her to sate her maternal instinct by taking care of Vaida, he had gone and escorted her back to their room, where she had promptly dropped off to sleep.

Szayel had yet to tell anyone that their shinigami 'guardian' was engaged in a fight, because if they knew someone would be forced to go out and assists… And with Halibel and Grimmjow gone, the odds were between him and Stark.

And Stark hadn't been heard from for some time now…

Instead, Szayel had increased the power the generators hooked up to the reiryoku sealants let out and had effectively smothered all signs of the battle going on outside to those inside.

Of course, he was fairly sure that several who were too weak to withstand having that much of a percentage of their blood reishi drained had long since passed out, but… Szayel didn't really care.

He wasn't particularly fond of most of those who lived in _his_ compound, and the only reason he hadn't turned them all into experiments was Aporro.

She would be incredibly irritated if he did that…

Considering it wasn't as though the weaklings wouldn't recover once he turned the barrier's strength down again, Szayel didn't pay much mind to it beyond acknowledging it, instead watching the fight between Gillo and Ukitake for a moment longer.

Then, he finally decided to check on his mate.

When Szayel went to switch views between the battle outside and his room, he twitched when a message window opened on the screen.

'_Your request requires that you be in live mode. Switch to live mode now?_'

Szayel stared at the screen, "…Son of a bitch."

He'd completely forgotten that he had rewound the battle visual at one point or another to get a better look at a move Gillo had made, and he'd never gone back to live mode.

Though it could easily mean nothing, Szayel couldn't shake the heavy feeling in his chest and he reached out to switch the computer to live mode, staring at his empty room once he had.

Aporro was gone.

Twitching and going for the worst possibility first, Szayel switched the view back to the fight outside, cursing and dashing for the door when he saw his intuition had been right.

On the screen, Gillo and Jushiro were no longer fighting, instead watching as Aporro took off in the direction Vicenta's cero had been seen.

* * *

Aporro stumbled up the steps and to the entrance/exit of El Sanctuario, flinching slightly as it got harder and harder to walk.

Just what in the hell was going _on_ outside?

Frowning up at the door, she braced her hand against the frame as it swung open and looked out, her eyes widening when she saw Jushiro fighting a Hollow.

And not _just_ a Hollow; a Vasto Lorde.

And by the looks of things, he wasn't faring well.

"Jushiro!" Aporro jumped forward, opening her mouth as the two fighters glanced at her. A violet ball of energy quickly formed, then fired.

The Vasto Lorde, a male with grey skin and slightly darker grey hair, scowled, easily brushing the cero aside and disappearing with a resounding snap.

Aporro barely heard Jushiro call out to her before the Hollow reappeared before her, his hand wrapping around her neck and catching her just before she landed.

"Arrancar…" He hissed, his eyes narrowing and two whip-like tendrils of flesh wrapping around and grazing her body.

Aporro hissed back and struggled weakly, still under the influence of Szayel's sedatives.

Apparently sensing something wrong with her, the Vasto Lorde's scowl eased to a frown and he looked her up and down, finally mumbling, "You've been deliberately weakened by one of your own kind…"

"Apparently makes it easier to control me." Aporro grumbled, then struggled harder and hissed, "Where's Vicenta?"

The male quirked a brow, "Who?"

"Vicenta, you asshole!" Aporro shouted, kicking ineffectively at his chest, "The only reason I could think of one of you bastards being here is because of her! If it's a fight you want, just challenge us, damn it! Don't drag my daughter into this!"

"…I'm not here because of your daughter." The Vasto Lorde growled, glaring at her flatly as he lost interest in her, "You have someone in there who belongs to me. I want her back."

Aporro blinked, barely noticing Jushiro watching anxiously out of her periphery as she looked the Vasto Lorde up and down, "…You're Gillo." When the Vasto Lorde's frown deepened, she elaborated, "Vaida said you might come."

The Vasto Lorde's eyes widened slightly and his hand twitched around her neck, more an involuntary reaction than a threatening move. "Vaida's alive?"

"Of course she is." Aporro mumbled, her struggles weakening as Gillo's grip on her neck loosened, "She was an unwitting pawn in all of this; I couldn't let Szayel kill her…"

When Gillo's hand abruptly let her go, Aporro fell back onto the sand with a soft grunt, pushing herself up into a halfway sitting position with her hands propping up her upper body.

She jumped slightly when Gillo knelt in front of her, meeting his eyes and blinking.

"In all of what?" The Vasto Lorde asked, looking somewhere between curious and angry.

Aporro blinked, then explained briefly what was going on, concluding, "When we have Vicenta back, there would be no point in keeping Vaida further and I'm planning on making Szayel let her go… She didn't do any of this with any darker intentions in mind, and she really doesn't seem to be much of a threat."

"She's not." Gillo grumbled, running a hand through his hair, "She's just a burden." He then looked at Aporro jadedly, grumbling, "Fine. I never was too keen on the idea of fighting or eradicating your species to begin with; you were more an annoying presence than anything. And now that we've done all of this talking, I don't really feel like fighting anymore… So I'll just take Vaida and leave."

"You can't have her."

Gillo twitched, narrowing his eyes threateningly and growling, "What?"

"I…" Aporro looked away guiltily, mumbling, "I can't let you have her until I have Vicenta back…"

"She's useless to you." Gillo tried to reason, slowly getting more and more pissed off, "I'm not involved with your daughter's kidnapping, and the ones who are don't give a damn if Vaida lives or dies. You trying to keep her is only going to piss me off and bring a third party into this conflict, and then you and your people really _will_ die."

"But I _can't_ just let her go." Aporro rasped, looking up at him pleadingly, "If I do, we lose whatever small advantage she gives us… And as much as I don't want to keep prisoners, I can't just let what we did to capture her mean nothing!"

"But she isn't _worth_ anything!" Gillo snapped, bearing his teeth.

"But she is to you…" Aporro mumbled, shuddering and looking down at her lap, "…Help us, and I'll make Szayel let her go without any further fighting being necessary."

Gillo twitched, narrowing his eyes sharply and hissing down at the woman. It was getting really, _really_ hard to refrain from just slapping her aside and storming the compound, but hitting someone as weak as the woman in front of him didn't sit with him well.

…She reminded him too much of Vaida…

"And why in the hell would I help you?" Gillo asked.

Aporro looked up at him beseechingly, "Because you know how I feel."

Before Gillo could respond to this, a streak of blue to his right caught their attention.

As a navy cero cut through the black of the night sky, Aporro tensed, her eyes widening.

Without thinking about it, she slipped away from Gillo and started to run towards it, tripping slightly as her stumbling got her caught up in the sand. She was just about to climb the sand lip of the crater Jushiro and Gillo's fighting had caused when she heard someone shout behind her.

"APORRO, COME BACK!"

It was Szayel.

But Aporro didn't stop, instead preparing herself to use sonido the second she was on even ground.

The moment she'd climbed out of the crater, though, an intense pressure slammed her facedown into the sand and she found herself being scooped up and thrown over a shoulder.

Aporro blinked down at the bare, grey-skinned back of the person carrying her, taking a moment to comprehend and starting to flail when a whip-like tendril brushed her face, "Gillo, let me go!"

The tendril brushed her face again, and Aporro blacked out.

* * *

Gillo glared down into the stunned face of the pink-haired male Arrancar who could only be Szayel Aporro, hefting the woman off of his shoulder and shoving her into his arms.

"You should keep a better eye on this wench." The Vasto Lorde growled, sneering in unbridled disgust.

Szayel blinked up at Gillo, still stunned, then nodded, "Yes, yes you're right…"

Gillo snorted, then glanced up at the doorway of El Sanctuario, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Szayel glanced, as well, blinking when he saw Stark staring down at the Vasto Lorde with an unfathomable expression.

After a moment, Stark lifted his hand and waved, "Berenzo. Yo."

Gillo twitched, growling, "Coyote Stark…"

Stark chuckled, then jumped down from the doorway and landed between Gillo and Szayel as they stepped back to make room for him, "What're you—" A flash of peach skin and green hair fell on top of Stark, making him urk and fall as Lilinette stood up top of him, grinning at Gillo.

"Gillo!" Lilinette burst, throwing herself at the Vasto Lorde and hugging him tightly.

Gillo twitched and growled, grabbing Lilinette by the back of her neck and tossing her aside carelessly, "Brat."

Ignoring Lilinette when she shrieked indignantly, Stark stood and brushed himself off, meeting Gillo's gaze evenly and nodding, "What are you here for?"

"My whelp." Gillo grunted, glancing at Aporro, "At least, I was…"

Stark followed his gaze, blinking at Aporro before looking up at Szayel questioningly.

Szayel shrugged, eyeing Gillo with a blatant air of distrust.

Gillo nodded, getting Stark's attention before jerking his head over his shoulder, in the direction Vicenta's cero had come from, "Let's go, Coyote. We're getting the woman's brat back."

Stark's brows shot up, but he didn't question it and followed the Vasto Lorde when he started walking.

Szayel blinked, again finding himself shocked but not saying anything.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Lilinette burst angrily.

Stark glanced back at her, shaking his head, "Nette, you stay here. I don't think this situation is so serious that I'll need to release…"

"You probably won't." Gillo grunted, glancing at Jushiro, "Shinigami, you're coming, too. Seal your zanpakuto and conserve your energy."

Jushiro blinked, but ultimately complied.

Szayel stared after them, blinking.

What had suddenly changed…?

Just what… in the hell was going on…?

Before the newly formed party of Gillo, Stark and Jushiro left the area, the Vasto Lorde looked back at Szayel pointedly.

"Tell the woman I'll get her daughter back in exchange for her continuing to protect Vaida."

Szayel blinked as the three disappeared.

After staring at where they had departed from for a moment, Szayel glanced down at his mate, sighing, "Such a strange ability you have, Aporro… This power of persuasion."

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

When the Light Go… Out…!

She never thought that this would actually happen…

Aporro never, _ever_ thought she'd have to face it again, this unquestionably childish but uncontrollable thing…

Because they'd never had problems with the generators before. In fact, back in Las Noches, having a problem with the generators had never been even a _remote_ question of possibility.

But, as Szayel had explained to her, El Sanctuario was much smaller than Las Noches, and it still housed all of his facilities; it had never really been intended to be used as a permanent lodging.

Of _course_ he would be able to fix it, but problems were only to be expected.

However… being _told_ about it doesn't make her feel any better.

Because Aporro… is…

…Well…

…She's afraid of the dark.

And when the lights (always on, just dimmed for when they go to sleep) suddenly go out, Aporro wakes immediately and tenses, her eyes wide and her breathing ragged.

When something shifts beside her, Aporro lunges and latches onto Szayel, trembling slightly and clamping her eyes shut when her mate twitches awake and curses.

"Aporro, let me go so I can go fix the generator…" Szayel mumbles, making weak, groggy attempts to pull away from her.

"Don't leave me." Aporro rasps.

Szayel groans, flopping back, "Not now, Aporro… I'm tired and I want to get this fixed so I can go back to sleep."

"L-Lumina and Verona are probably already going to do it, right?" Aporro tries to reason weakly, clinging to him tightly, "Let them. Don't leave…"

Szayel blinks, then sighs and relaxes again, mumbling, "What seems to be the problem, Aporro…?"

Aporro twitches, then sighs. There's no point in lying to him… So long as just he knows… "I… I'm afraid of the dark…"

Her confession is met with silence.

Then, Szayel is suddenly gone and Aporro is left alone.

She whimpers and sits up, looking around in the murky darkness, "Sz-Szayel…?"

When hands suddenly set on her shoulders from behind, she jumps and screams, spinning around and punching her mate in the gut when he laughs.

"You bastard!"

Szayel chuckled, "Ah, I finally have something to use against you…"

Before Aporro can snap at him, Szayel pulls her close and smothers her mouth with his, his mind reeling with all sorts of evil plans.

Maybe he'll have Lumina and Verona hold of on repairing the generators, just for a bit…


	28. Take Back What is Hers

The topic of today's 'Fun in The Sanctuary~!' goes out to SerbiaTakesCntrl, who I think was curious about the connection between Byakuya and Aporro. ^.^

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, meaning it does not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Bleach storyline (such as Aporro [in character, not name] and Vicenta Acere) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.

* * *

"Szayel…" Aporro growled, stalking towards her mate at a slow, deliberate pace, "You're going to give Barracuda Bicuda back to me now."

Szayel twitched, backing away with equally slow, deliberate paces as his hand discreetly found its way to the hilt of Fornicaras, "No, Aporro, I won't."

"Yes," Aporro countered, her aura starting to crackle with purple and her eyes narrowing, "You will."

She had _had_ it.

She was _sick_ of people knocking her out every time she tried to go after her daughter, and now that she and Szayel were effectively alone she wasn't letting it happen again.

The only thing standing between her and her zanpakuto was her mate, and Aporro was ready to land him in the _intensive care unit_ for as pissed as she was at him.

He was lucky he had a dick, because if he didn't Aporro would have little other reason to not kill him.

Shallow, yes, but Aporro was being broiled down to her most base instincts, and unfortunately for Szayel she was so pissed that loving him for his _big_, _sexy brain_ wasn't one of them at the moment.

"Aporro…" Szayel started, sounding slightly anxious as he drew Fornicaras slightly, "Do not instigate a—"

Beyond listening, Aporro sonidoed forward, landing on one foot and spinning around in a full roundhouse.

Her other foot arced gracefully through the air, catching Szayel under his jaw and sending him flying across the room before he crashed into the wall, the stone rippling before caving and cracking.

Szayel hissed, drawing his sword all the way and throwing his head back when he landed on his feet. The blade slowly slipped down his throat… "Sip, Fornicaras!"

Tensing, Aporro jumped back, landing on her feet and crouching slightly with one hand pressed to the floor as she skidded back, stopping just feet from her butt touching the wall.

She watched with narrowed eyes as her mate finished his transformation, sneering when he tossed his head and fixed her with an icy glare.

"Aporro, dear, I _do_ love you," Szayel drawled, crossing his arms over his chest and staring down at her derisively, "But I _will not_ hesitate to harm you. Stop this. Immediately."

"Give me my zanpakuto and this can all end." Aporro drawled back, long pink hair sliding down over her shoulder and amber eyes meeting her mate's solidly.

Szayel's purple tattooed upper lip quirked up slightly in a sneer, one of his wings twisting forward as Aporro leapt at him.

The red, hanging appendages swelled and blocked the attack, but Szayel still grunted and had to brace his feet when the shockwave reached his back.

Aporro wrapped her fingers around the top edge of his wing and swung herself up, flipping around so her feet pressed against the ceiling when she reached it. Crouching and growling down at him, she pressed off powerfully and rocketed straight for him.

All four of Szayel's wings were necessary to block the blow, and even then several of the swollen red appendages burst, spattering them both with the runny liquid inside.

Snarling angrily, Szayel swung his arm, one of the wings following the motion and throwing Aporro across the room.

Unable to flip herself around fast enough, Aporro slammed into the wall above their bed, blood spattering the wall when the back of her head smacked the stone.

Normally, Szayel would have frowned and instantly started fretting.

Now, he just watched coldly as she whimpered and collapsed on the bed, her pink hair quickly turning red and slick.

Szayel walked over to the bed slowly, his high heels clicking on the floor with each step and his dress swirling back and forth around his legs.

When he was standing next to their bed, one of his wings slowly slid out and nudged itself under Aporro, wrapping around her tightly and lifting her into the air. As it did, the hanging appendages swelled, trapping her and making her moan in pain at the increase in pressure.

Aporro peeled her eyes open slowly and one by one, her vision splitting and spinning and the right side of her body going numb. She whimpered when she was squeezed, looking down at Szayel dazedly.

"Do not fight me, Aporro." Szayel said smoothly, his chin tipped up slightly and his eyes lidded as he looked at her as if she were scum, "You won't win."

Aporro stared at him, panting and in pain, then closed her eyes and rasped, "I… wouldn't count on that…" Abruptly, she opened her mouth as wide as she could and charged/fired a cero, right in Szayel's face.

Not prepared for her to actually be cognizant enough after the blow to the head to be able to gather the reishi for a cero, Szayel took the brunt of the blast with an indignant screech, his wing dropping her as he stumbled back.

Aporro collapsed in a heap, blood running down her temples and to her forehead as Szayel pressed his hands to the burns on his face.

Then, quickly, Aporro pushed herself onto her hands and toes, then launched herself forward and slammed into his torso.

Instead of stumbling, like she thought he would, Szayel grabbed her shoulders and pressed her against him, all four of his wings wrapping around them both and crushing her body to his chest and stomach.

Vaguely, Aporro was suddenly conscious of just how much _taller_ Fornicaras made Szayel, and she found herself temporarily forgetting her anger and leaning against him.

Szayel frowned deeply, finally allowing himself to worry as her eyes rolled back into her head, which slumped back at an almost odd angle.

"Aporro!" Szayel hissed, letting go of her shoulders and grabbing her bloody head, instead, lifting it and hovering over her, "Aporro!"

Aporro's lips parted slightly and she panted, her eyelids fluttering up so she could stare at him through bloodshot, glassy eyes.

"Aporro, stay with me." Szayel growled, looking over his shoulder and barking at the door, "Lumina! Verona! Get in here, now!"

Once the door swung open and the two Fraccion scuttled in, Szayel grabbed the closest one and smacked its head against one of the four posters of his and his mate's bed, barely paying attention to the spray of blood as the skull in his large hand crumpled and the form twitched before going lax.

Behind Szayel, Lumina wailed and lamented the death of his sister, and Szayel didn't bother to snap at him to shut up as he, with a flick of his wrist, tore his Fraccion in half, pressing the bloody, jagged tissue of the half still in his hand to his mate's lips.

When Aporro mumbled into the carcass, Szayel shushed her and soothed, "Eat, Aporro. Eat it now before I have to take you into intensive surgery."

Aporro mumbled a bit more, blood spraying from her lips before she finally obeyed and started nibbling and drinking the dribbling blood.

Szayel continued cooing and urging her with almost sickeningly sweet words, sighing at the twinge of relief that came with a soft purple light that worked its way down her body, staunching the blood and healing her.

Within seconds, Aporro's eyes snapped back open with renewed anger and she flailed, snarling.

Szayel glared down at her, tossing the remains of his Fraccion aside and grabbing her head with both hands so he could kiss her roughly.

Aporro made vicious noises and bit at his lips and tongue, drawing quite a bit of blood before she actually calmed down and started kissing back.

Verona's blood, some of it still in Aporro's mouth, healed Szayel's bitten skin, and he walked over to the bed and pressed her down on her back, pulling back and panting, "I'm not giving you Barracuda Bicuda… yet."

"Yet?" Aporro asked huskily, her eyes clouded with a different kind of red now.

"Should Marccia Bones show up… I'll give it to you then." Szayel elaborated, squeaking when she grabbed his collar and jerked him off of his feet.

Groaning and kissing her back, it took Szayel a moment to push her away and look down at her sternly.

"But you _will_ be careful, and after unsheathing it you will _only_ release if I say you can."

"Yeah, yeah, blah, blah." Aporro rolled her eyes, grabbing him with both hands this time and jerking him into another kiss.

Szayel groaned again, lifting his lower body when she started pulling his skirt up over his legs and hips, "Weren't we… just fighting?"

"Yeah, but fighting's _such_ a turn-on." Aporro rasped, rolling them over and pinning him to the bed.

Szayel didn't have time to comment as she pushed his skirt up to his stomach and ground down on his erection, instead tossing his head back and groaning throatily.

If it wasn't _so damned arousing_ when she was still angry as she took control, Szayel would have made several acerbic remarks about how their fights always led back to her demanding sex… Though Szayel supposed he probably should have considered himself lucky.

He knew that when humans fought, it often led to the male being banished to the sofa.

When Aporro bit his neck harshly, nearly breaking both his barely passable hierro and his skin, Szayel flinched but didn't say anything, closing his eyes instead and groaning again when she clenched her thighs tightly around his hips.

Aporro, despite how affectionate she may _seem_ at the moment, was still pissed. And Szayel could understand why…

Every single time Aporro had attempted to go after Vicenta, someone had intercepted.

And, quite frankly, several of the interceptions hadn't even been _planned_.

It seemed everyone had drawn the same conclusion without realizing it; the conclusion that Aporro wasn't mentally stable/strong enough to save her daughter.

And Szayel knew that had hurt her…

And the fact that she'd been denied her own zanpakuto, which he knew she wanted only for the mental security of having _some_ control of the situation, hadn't helped at all, despite the fact that when Szayel had taken Barracuda Bicuda from her, she had said she understood why…

…He could only imagine how infuriated she would be when she found out he had no real intent to give her her zanpakuto.

Though Szayel couldn't bring himself to feel the least bit guilty about it. Not even when she leaned up to kiss him again and he saw how tightly her eyes were closed, how wet her eyelids were, how upset she looked.

Szayel sighed and closed his eyes, his Fornicaras-large, thin hands settling on her waist as he kissed back.

He had expected her to know better than to trust him on such matters…

* * *

Aporro waited until Szayel was asleep to take Fornicaras and slide it back into its sheath. Szayel always slipped out of Resurreccion after he went to sleep if he didn't reseal beforehand…

Standing, Aporro shuddered in the cold air before she pulled her clothes back on, glancing at Szayel to make sure he was still asleep as she secured Fornicaras to her waist.

He was sprawled out on his stomach, head turned to the side and hair mussed with a light pink flush still staining his cheeks.

It had been impossible to take his clothes off while he was in Resurreccion, but the moment he was sealed again he was naked, his fine, pert ass bare to the cold air.

Sighing, Aporro covered him up and turned, walking out.

She wasn't stupid.

She knew that, after nearly twenty years of Szayel hiding her zanpakuto from her whenever he so chose, her mate wasn't about to give it back to her, especially when she was so angry about what had happened…

If she wanted Barracuda Bicuda back in her hand, she would have to find it on her own.

As Aporro walked down the hall, Fornicaras thudded against her hip over and over, the heavy metal balls of the tsuba hit her with extra force, the cold of the metal stinging her straight through her hakama.

Though Aporro knew that Arrancar zanpakuto weren't conscious like those of shinigami, she'd always felt like… Fornicaras didn't like her handling it without Szayel's permission.

…Not that the sword would have much of a choice even if it were sentient.

Aporro wasn't having Szayel release and attack her again; fighting him while she was unarmed was a bitch.

When Aporro arrived at the first place she could think of looking (Szayel's main laboratory), she blinked when she saw Lumina sitting outside of the door, the small, bulbous Fraccion's face in his hands as he sobbed.

Feeling a tug at her heart, Aporro knelt down in front of the Fraccion and reached out to pet his head, "Lumina, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Lumina jerked back to stare at Aporro with wide eyes, then threw his head back and wailed, "You ate Verona!"

Aporro blinked. She didn't remember doing that, but it did make sense and certainly explained why she healed so fast… And why Lumina was not only alone, but so upset; Aporro didn't remember Szayel promising to make him another Verona.

"Lumina, hon, shut up." When the Fraccion immediately obeyed, Aporro nodded, standing, "Good boy. Now, I'm sorry Szayel didn't get a chance to talk to you about this; how about I make you a new Verona now?"

Lumina immediately perked and stood, clasping his hands and staring up at Aporro with hopeful, beady, watery eyes, "Y-Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

Aporro smiled, reaching out and petting his face, "Alright, Lumina, let's go then."

Lumina practically stumbled over Aporro's heels as he followed her into the lab, and though Aporro kept turning to him repeatedly to slap at him and tell him to back off, he still stuck to her like glue.

The closer they got to one of the machines in the back, the worse he got.

Despite how annoying it was, Aporro couldn't help shaking her head and smiling as she started the machine.

Lumina took her hand when it was free and bounced up and down, rubbing her palm against the side of his small face, "Thank you, Master Aporro! Thank you, Master Aporro!"

"Don't thank me." Aporro turned to him and smiled, setting her hands on his shoulders and pushing him back down onto his bare feet, "You know I hate seeing you alone…"

When the machine cracked open with a hiss, they both turned and watched as a new Verona stepped out, the clone looking around with wide, confused eyes.

"Verona, Verona!" Lumina cheered, leaping forward and wrapping his gangly arms around her.

It took the new Verona a moment, but when she finally caught on she smiled widely and hugged him back, "Lumina! Lumina!"

Aporro watched them with her arms crossed over her stomach, smiling softly. Annoying as they could be, stupid as they were, despite the fact that they, technically, weren't real beings, she liked how, unlike other Arrancar, they weren't afraid of showing real emotions (or at least, as real as their emotions could get).

She loved how dependant they were on one another's existence… It was strangely and sickeningly sweet in their dark, lonely world…

When the two Fraccion turned and looked up at her, Aporro kept smiling and leaned forward, cupping their faces with her hands and looking between them, "There. Better now?"

In unison, they nodded so violently Aporro was surprised they didn't hurt their little necks.

"Good…" Aporro kept smiling at them gently, keeping their guards down, "Now, I need you two to help me find something Master Szayel Aporro… misplaced…"

* * *

Ignoring the Fraccion as they stood back and wrung their hands nervously, mumbling to one another, Aporro pressed her stomach against the edge of a seemingly empty table, leaning over and pressing down on the center.

A slip of the table gave way under her fingers, and then that slip parted down the center and slid away, leaving a small compartment open.

Aporro reached inside, sighing and closing her eyes when the tips of her fingers brushed against a familiar, well-polished object. She wrapped her hand around the sheath and pulled it out, staring down at her zanpakuto.

Barracuda Bicuda was a long sword, almost to the point where it ceased to be a katana and would have been considered a nodachi, were there just a few more centimeters to it.

The sheath was a dark charcoal color that, in the right light, seemed to look lighter than it actually was, and the wrapping around the hilt was a very, very bright white. Wave-like patterns decorated the squared silver tsuba, though one couldn't see them unless they were looking for them.

Aporro smiled down the extension of her soul softly, feeling a warmth radiate from the sheath where she grasped it despite the fact that the sword held no consciousness.

It was simply reacting to being connected to her again, she knew, but it still prompted a stirring in her chest.

…Then again, it could just be a small amount of bloodlust…

Quickly, Aporro secured Barracuda Bicuda around her waist, right over Fornicaras, and turned to Lumina and Verona, looking at them seriously, "You didn't see me take this, I didn't let you help me find it." She quirked a brow, "Clear?"

The two Fraccion shifted nervously, nodding and mumbling to one another, "No tell Master Szayel Aporro… No tell. No tell. No tell…"

"Good…" Aporro nodded, pulling them close and kissing their cheeks before she stared at the door to the lab.

All she had to do now was get out of The Sanctuary…

Then she could find that bitch, Marccia Bones, and make the woman wish she'd never been spawned.

* * *

Szayel lay out on his back, one arm crossed behind his head and the other holding up his handheld, on which he had a perfect view of Aporro as she walked out of his lab and towards the exit of the compound.

…Just how crafty did she think she was?

* * *

* * *

Fun in The Sanctuary~!

How Did They Meet…?

"Setsuko Nakamura?"

Aporro glances over her shoulder, quirking a brow, "Captain Kuchiki… you do know that was my human name, right?"

Byakuya pauses, then nods, "Yes. I just wanted to confirm it."

"…O…kay…?" Aporro's quirked brow goes even higher as she turns to the shinigami, tilting her head curiously. She had just come to the Seireitei to visit Jushiro while he was in the Fourth Division again, and she hadn't told anyone she was coming…

…Why was the Sixth Division Captain actively seeking her?

Noticing her befuddled expression, Byakuya sighs, "My apologies for not explaining. You see, the Kuchiki's are in charge of the archives of the Soul Society, and it has been something of a tradition for us to keep an eye on the cycles of rebirth of those who are… directly linked to us."

Aporro blinks. Byakuya had actually paused… She takes a moment to think about what he said, then slowly starts grinning. "Byakuya…" She starts, dropping the formalities, "Are you saying what I think you are?"

Byakuya narrows his eyes, twitching in indignation as he turns sharply on his heel and starts walking away. The twitching only gets worse as Aporro dashes after him. "Though confrontation usually doesn't happen, the opportunity presented itself and, as the head of the Kuchiki house, I could not ignore it."

"But you're regretting it now, aren't you?" Aporro jabs, grinning and throwing her head back to laugh loudly when Byakuya just twitches.

"You're almost exactly as I remember you." Byakuya finally grumbles, his eyes comically narrowed and lidded, "Impertinent and boisterous as ever. A smear on our family."

Aporro snickers, shrugging, "It takes all kinds, you know. So, how far apart were we? By marriage? Third? Second? Twice removed?"

"…First cousins." Byakuya admits, twitching to a stop when Aporro leaps in front of him.

"Cousin!" Aporro cheers, throwing herself at Byakuya and hugging him tightly.

Byakuya twitches yet again, glaring off into the distance.

He will _not_ be introducing Rukia to this former Kuchiki…


End file.
